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Heat Kills | What You Need To Know To Keep Your Family Safe

WFMY News 2 wants to make sure you have all the resources you need to keep your family safe right at your fingertips.

Carrie Hodgin, WFMY News 2 Digital

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Published: 3:05 PM EDT July 1, 2016
Updated: 3:19 PM EDT July 2, 2018

WFMY News 2 wants to make sure you have all the resources you need to keep your family safe right at your fingertips.

Heat kills. It's one of the leading weather-related killers in the United States.

That's why WFMY News 2 wants to make sure you have all the resources you need to keep your family safe right at your fingertips. We're going to provide you with information for spotting heat-related illnesses, how to respond in an emergency and other resources all in one place.

Warning and Advisories- take a moment to find out the differences.

From NOAA

Excessive Heat Watches: are issued when conditions are favorable for an excessive heat event in the next 24 to 72 hours. A Watch is used when the risk of a heat wave has increased but its occurrence and timing is still uncertain. A Watch provides enough lead time so that those who need to prepare can do so, such as cities officials who have excessive heat event mitigation plans.

NOAA's National Weather Service Heat Index 

Excessive Heat Warning/Advisories: are issued when an excessive heat event is expected in the next 36 hours. It's issued when an excessive heat event is occurring, is imminent, or has a very high probability of occurring. The warning is used for conditions posing a threat to life. An advisory is for less serious conditions that cause significant discomfort or inconvenience and, if caution is not taken, could lead to a threat to life.

What you need to know about a heat wave: It's a prolonged period of excessive heat, generally 10 degrees or more above average, and often includes excessive humidity.

Each year dozens of children and an unknown number of pets left in parked vehicles die from hyperthermia.

Beat The Heat And Check The Back Seat. NOAA

Watch: This video of just how quickly a car heats up provided to NOAA.

Remember summer is a time kids go to camp and you want to make sure your child knows the signs of heat-related illnesses. It's also a time for vacations, yard work, exercising, playing golf, or going on a hike but family fun can turn into a matter of life or death in an instant.

Find out what you need to know about heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat stroke below.

Heat-Related Illness Symptoms and First Aid

From NOAA

HEAT CRAMPS

Symptoms:

  • Painful muscle cramps and spasms usually in legs and abdomen
  • Heavy sweating

First Aid:

  • Apply firm pressure on cramping muscles or gentle massage to relieve spasm.
  • Give sips of water, if nausea occurs, discontinue water

HEAT EXHAUSTION

Symptoms:

  • Heavy sweating
  • Weakness
  • Cool, pale, clammy skin
  • Weak pulse
  • Possible muscle cramps
  • Dizziness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fainting
  • Normal temperature possible

First Aid:

  • Move person to a cooler environment
  • Remove or loosen clothing
  • Apply cool, wet cloths
  • Fan or move victim to air conditioned room
  • Offer sips of water. If nausea occurs, discontinue water. If vomiting continues, seek immediate medical attention.
First Aid Kit 

HEAT STROKE (or sunstroke)

Symptoms:

  • Altered mental state
  • Possible throbbing headache, confusion, nausea, dizziness, shallow breathing
  • High body temperature (106°F or higher)
  • Skin may be hot and dry, or patient may be sweating
  • Rapid pulse
  • Possible unconsciousness

First Aid:

  • Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Summon emergency medical assistance or get the victim to a hospital immediately. Delay can be fatal.
  • Move the victim to a cooler, preferably air-conditioned, environment
  • Reduce body temperature with a water mister and fan or sponging
  • Use fan if heat index temperatures are below the high 90s
  • Use extreme caution
  • If temperature rises again, repeat process
  • Do NOT give fluids
Heat emergency symptoms. NOAA

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