WRIC 8News Shadowed the Richmond Ambulance Authority yesterday to experience – first hand – how we respond to heat-related injuries.
To find out more about hot weather conditions, and how you can fight the heat, click through the Heat Wave Information brochure and follow these Heat Wave Safety Tips:
- Slow down. Strenuous activities should be reduced, eliminated, or rescheduled to the coolest time of the day. Individuals at risk should stay in the coolest available place, not necessarily indoors.
- Dress for summer. Lightweight light-colored clothing reflects heat and sunlight, and helps
your body maintain normal temperatures. - Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods (like proteins) that increase metabolic heat
production also increase water loss. - Drink plenty of water or other non-alcohol fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink plenty of fluids even if you don’t feel thirsty. Persons who (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease, (2) are on fluid restrictive diets or (3) have a problem with fluid retention should consult a physician before increasing their consumption of fluids.
- Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
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Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician. Persons on salt restrictive diets should consult a physician before increasing their salt intake.
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Spend more time in air-conditioned places. Air conditioning in homes and other buildings markedly reduces danger from the heat. If you cannot afford an air conditioner, spending some time each day (during hot weather) in an air conditioned environment affords some protection.
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Don’t get too much sun. Sunburn makes the job of heat dissipation that much more difficult.
