Healthy Tips to Beat the Heat

Be sure you beat the heat, and don’t let it make you or your neighbors sick. The Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC) has issued a notice about the climbing temperatures over the next few days. Please remember a few key things:

Montrose Avenue Beach, Chicago, Illinois. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

1. Check on your neighbors – especially seniors and families with young children, as they are the people in greatest danger in extreme heat and humidity.

2. Drink plenty of water!

3. Avoid going out in the heat during the hottest part of the day.

4. Wear light, loose fitting clothing and wear a hat to protect your head and face.

5. Remember that all Chicago police district headquarters, libraries, and public buildings can be used as temporary cooling centers.

“Heat exhaustion” is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. “Heat stroke” is more serious, and occurs when the body starts to lose its ability to regulate itself. The telltale signs of heat stroke are:

An extremely high body temperature, such as 103 degrees or above;
Dizziness and nausea;
A throbbing headache and a pulse that is rapid and strong;
Skin that is red, hot and dry.

If you see someone suffering from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, take immediate action. Call 911 immediately and then try to safely move the person into a cool place and cool the person with water.

Steps can also be taken to reduce the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke:

Ensure that children stay well hydrated and drink lots of water.
Call 3-1-1 for the nearest City Cooling Center located within the six Community Service Centers operated by the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS). The centers are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays; and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Contact local Chicago Park District facilities to find out about beach and park hours and programs.

For more helpful hints, please review the notice from OEMC by clicking here .

If you’re interested in receiving alerts and notices such as these directly from OEMC via text, please take a few minutes to sign up at Alert Chicago.