Avoiding Heat-Related Illnesses at Home and Work
Asana Recovery Weekly Team Update July 18, 2023
Training Tools
Keep Cool in Hot Weather
Staying cool during the hottest part of the year isn’t just about comfort: It’s about healthy and safety. With extreme heat causing more deaths than other weather-related hazards every year - and this year’s higher-than-average temperatures - it’s a good idea to learn ways to keep cool and how to treat heat-related illnesses.
Tips for Staying Cool
Drink more water. Increase your fluid intake, and don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Rely on water to keep hydrated - not sugary drinks, coffee, or alcohol, which can actually be dehydrating.
Spend time in air conditioning. During extreme heat, spending even a few hours in air conditioning can be helpful. If your home isn’t air conditioned, go to a shopping mall or public library. Check to see if your community set up emergency alternatives for cooling centers. While fans may make you more comfortable, they will not prevent heat-related illness.
Insulate your house. Insulating your and house and covering your windows (drapes, shades or window reflectors such as aluminum foil-covered cardboard to reflect heat back outside) will keep your house cooler.
Wear sun protection. Sunburn affects your body’s ability to cool down and can make you dehydrated. When you’re outdoors, protect yourself with a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher applied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure).
Never leave pets or people in a closed car. Cars heat up quickly to dangerous temperatures, even with a window cracked open.
Avoid strenuous activities - or plan for cooler times.
If possible, limit strenuous outdoor activities to when it’s coolest: morning and evening hours.
Cool off quickly if you’re overheated. Bring your temperature down with a cool shower or bath or go swimming, if you can avoid sunburn. If those aren’t an option, focus on cooling the hands, wrists, feet, ankles and armpits using cold compresses or water.
Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses
There are three types of heat-related illnesses: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
Symptoms of heat cramps include muscle pains or spasms in the stomach, arms, or legs. If this happens, immediately find a cooler location and remove excess clothing.
During heat exhaustion, you may experience heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, weakness, dizziness, or vomiting. Go to an air-conditioned place, remove clothing, or take a cool bath.
Symptoms of heat stroke include a high internal body temperature (above 103 degrees), rapid and strong pulse, red skin, dizziness, or confusion. Call 9-1-1 and then attempt to cool your body in whatever ways are available to you.
Factors That Affect Our Body’s Ability to Cool Itself
High temperatures are not the only factor that leads to heat-related illnesses. Humidity and personal factors can exacerbate the dangers of high temperatures.
High humidity decreases sweat evaporation, which is the body’s primary tool for cooling. Personal factors - such as age (very young or old), obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn, and prescription drug and alcohol use all can play a role in whether a person can cool off enough in very hot weather.
New Employee Spotlight
Brittany Schoelen
Brittany Schoelen hopes her work as an admissions counselor at Asana Recovery will help people get sober and have a better life. In fact, seeing her friends get sober is one thing that makes her happy!
Brittany loves cooking, concerts, spending time with her family, and watching Oklahoma University football games. A huge Sooners fan, Brittany is also very involved in AA in Oklahoma City. Brittany went to Oklahoma State University in OKC. She has a little dog named Abby and enjoys traveling.
Trivia
Question: When and where was the highest temperature recorded in California?
Contact HR with your response for the chance to win a gift card!
Answer to last week’s trivia: Augustus Jackson is sometimes called the modern-day “Father of Ice Cream.” Jackson did not invent ice cream but his ice cream recipes became famous.
Last week’s winner was: Bobby C.