whew! it’s hot outside! staying safe in hot weather

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Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

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Page 1: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Whew! It’s hot outside!

Staying safe in hot weather

Page 3: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

In some parts of the United States, summers can be dangerously hot.

Page 4: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Usually the body cools itself off by sweating.

During an extreme heat wave, often sweating isn’t enough to cool off the body.

Page 5: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

If sweat cannot cool down the body, the body temperature

begins to rise to very high levels and cause

a heat illness.

Most heat illnesses happen when people are outside in the sun

too long.

Page 6: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Two major kinds of heat illness:

When the body loses too much liquid through sweating, the person feels weak and dizzy.

He may have a headache and a fast heart beat.

This condition is called heat exhaustion.

Page 7: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Heat stroke

• Heat stroke occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature through sweating. The body’s temperature can rise very high (106º F or 41ºC).

• Heat stroke is a medical emergency. The person’s skin becomes red, dry, and hot when it is touched. The body is no longer sweating. He may become confused or unconscious.

Page 8: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Treating heat illness

Heat exhaustion: Bring the person to a shady, cool place out of the heat.

Give him water to drink. Apply cold cloths to his body.

Heat stroke: Bring the person to a cool,

shady place and CALL FOR EMERGENCY HELP.

Loosen the clothing and apply cold cloths to his body.

Page 9: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Preventing heat illness

1. Stay indoors when the temperature is very hot.

2. Drink plenty of liquids

3. Wear loose, light-colored clothing

4. If you must go outside, wear a hat or use an umbrella to shade yourself

5. Do not exercise outside when it is very hot

Page 10: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Staying cool inside your home

Open your windows, especially at night so the cooler air can enter

Pull down window shades and close curtains to keep the hot sun out during the day

Use window fans

Drink plenty of liquids

Air conditioners help keep a house cooler, but are expensive to run

Page 11: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Heat waves

When it is very hot for a long time, it is called a heat wave.

During a heat wave, so many people are using electricity for their fans and air-conditioning that sometimes the electrical

power fails.

That is called a power “blackout.”

Page 12: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Cooling Centers

During a power blackout, or if you are simply

very hot in your apartment, you can go to a city cooling center.

There are cooling centers in every neighborhood.

Page 13: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Check on your neighbors

Heat waves can be very dangerous. Children, senior

citizens, and people with chronic diseases can easily

become very ill because of the heat.

During a heat wave, check on your neighbors and friends and make sure they stay out of the heat and drink plenty of liquids.

Page 14: Whew! It’s hot outside! Staying safe in hot weather

Enjoy the summer,

but be careful of the heat!

Heartland Alliance for Human Rights & Human NeedsRefugee Health Education and Promotion

Summer 2008This multi-media document was made possible by funding from the Office of Refugee Resettlement, Department of Health

and Human Service provided to the Illinois Department of Public Health.