This month brought record-breaking high temperatures to Sacramento. With that come potential health concerns. Exposure to extreme heat can raise issues from fatigue to heat stroke.
Here are some tips on how to be safer during extreme heat.
Watch for symptoms of heat illnesses
According to the California Department of Public Health, signs of heat-related illness include sweating, muscle cramps, weakness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, paleness, tiredness, dizziness, confusion and change in mental status.
Brandee Waite, director of sports medicine at UC Davis Health, said exercising outside during peak temperatures may sometimes lead to heat-related cramping. If a person stays outside despite cramping, that can lead to heat exhaustion, which is characterized by feelings of dizziness and profuse sweating.
Continuing to stay outside despite these issues can lead to heat stroke, a condition where Waite said medical intervention is necessary. People experiencing heat stroke may stop sweating altogether, feeling clammy instead, and it may make them unconscious. But taking breaks and staying hydrated earlier on can keep that from happening.
“You want to get out of the heat, stop doing the activity, make sure you're hydrating really well and replace the water and electrolytes that you've lost,” Waite said.
Those most susceptible to heat illness include young people, older adults, people with chronic illness, unhoused individuals and outdoor workers, said CDPH Director Dr. Tomás Aragón.
“The other group that's vulnerable is all of us,” he said last week. “You can be young and healthy and quickly get into trouble, because when you're out exerting, exercising physical activity, you're producing heat.”
Plan to avoid the hottest part of the day
Waite said it’s best to keep outside activity to the early morning, before peak heat hits. That advice includes other activities as well, like running errands.
“You want to plan your day,” she said. “If you have car trouble or something else like that, those are the unexpected things, sometimes, that keep people out in the sun when they're not expecting it.”
If you can’t avoid being outdoors
North Natomas Aquatic Complex in Sacramento, Calif., Saturday, May 20, 2023.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
For people like athletes and outdoor workers who can’t always stay indoors during peak heat, Waite says it’s important to find other ways to keep cool.
“If you are working outdoors and you get something like a buff or a neckerchief … you can soak it in water and then put it around your neck,” she said. “As that water evaporates, it cools you down.”
Waite said that’s a trick often used by marathon runners she’s aided in the past. Aside from that, she said it’s important to wear breathable fabric that still protects your body from getting sunburnt.
Outdoor workers across the state have additional protections when temperatures rise above 80 degrees. Cal/OSHA Chief Jeff Killip told reporters last week that during these periods of high heat, the department is focused on enforcement and outreach to employers in industries like construction, agriculture, warehouse and landscaping.
“Workers should not wait until they feel sick before they take a break to cool down,” Killip said. “Workers have a right to request access to shade at any temperature, and employers are required to have the shade structure set up as close as practicable to the worksite when temperatures reach or exceed 80 degrees.”
Hydrate, and do so before going out
Above all else, Waite said it’s important to keep hydrated throughout the day, even when you’re not outside.
“Don't just wait until you go outside and get thirsty and get hot to drink,” she said.
Aragón with CDPH suggested drinking water even when you’re not thirsty.
And not all drinks are equally good at hydration. Health experts caution against alcoholic drinks in the heat, or at least continuing to drink water.
Check on relatives and neighbors
The Le family came up from San Jose to go rafting on the American River, Friday, June 10, 2022Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Extreme heat can exacerbate underlying health conditions, and Aragón with CDPH said it’s important to check in on loved ones and neighbors.
“Stay connected, look out for each other, especially for the very young and the very old people who are otherwise vulnerable,” he said. “It's important for us to look out for each other.”
CDPH also suggests using a buddy system for adults at higher risk of heat illness, like older adults and outdoor workers.
Be careful of hot cars
Unattended car interiors can heat to unsafe temperatures even on mild days. Temperatures inside a vehicle can reach up to 100 degrees in around 25 minutes, according to the National Weather Service.
“It doesn't have to be a super hot day for these deaths to occur. [On a] 79-degree day, you're going to be in excess of 120 degrees after an hour inside that car … that is certainly a temperature that can cause a death,” said Jan Noll, founder of the organization No Heat Stroke.
During extreme heat events, it’s even more important not to leave children and pets inside unoccupied vehicles.
“If you see a child in a hot car in any sort of distress, call 911, and if necessary, get that child out of the car,” Noll added.
Where to find emergency information and cooling centers
Hart Senior Center in Sacramento hosts a cooling center on Thursday, June 17, 2021.Andrew Nixon / CapRadio
Local governments often open cooling or heat respite centers during extreme heat waves. Here are some places to look for information about those resources.
The city of Sacramento also recommends using libraries and community centers during regular hours to get indoors and out of the sun during hot days.
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