Protecting yourself & other from heat-related illness
Colorado temperatures are heating up fast and it’s important to protect yourself and the person you support from heat-related illness.
Heat related illnesses are preventable, knowing the signs to look for and responding quickly can prevent a minor illness from becoming a medical emergency. Common heat related illnesses include; heat rash (a skin condition caused by blocked sweat ducts and trapped sweat beneath the skin), sunburn, heat exhaustion (a condition that happens when your body overheats) and the most serious of heat related illnesses heat stroke (occurs when the body can no longer control it’s temperature causing the body’s temperature to rise rapidly and become unable to cool down-requires immediate medical care). To learn more about these types of heat related illnesses, how to identify signs and symptoms and what to do. Follow the link to learn more- Symptoms of Heat-Related Illnesses | Extreme Heat | CDC
Tips to prevent heat related illness:
- Stay indoors, in a cool place during extreme heat.
- Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is the primary cause of heat exhaustion! High temperatures increase the risk of dehydration.
- Apply sunscreen every day. Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours throughout the day especially if you’ve been swimming or sweating
- Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing.
Extreme Heat Infographic:
Extreme heat infographic 2023 interactive.pdf – Google Drive
