- CDC Activities
- FAQs
- Links
- Publications
- Bibliography
- Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your
Personal Health and Safety (html
| pdf, 3 Mb)
- Tips for Preventing Illness
From 1979 –1999, excessive heat exposure caused 8,015 deaths in the
United States. During this period, more people in this country died from
extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and
earthquakes combined. Because most heat-related deaths occur during the
summer, and because weather projections for this year indicate a
hotter-than-average summer, people should be aware of who is at greatest
risk and what actions can be taken to prevent a heat-related illness or
death. At greater risk are the elderly, children, and people with
certain medical conditions, such as heart disease. However, even young
and healthy individuals can succumb to heat if they participate in
strenuous physical activities during hot weather. Some behaviors also
put people at greater risk: drinking alcohol; taking part in strenuous
outdoor physical activities in hot weather; and taking medications that
impair the body's ability to regulate its temperature or that inhibit
perspiration.
Air-conditioning is the number one protective factor against
heat-related illness and death. If a home is not air-conditioned, people
can reduce their risk for heat-related illness by spending time in
public facilities that are air-conditioned. Suggestions for preventing a
heat-related illness include frequently drinking water or nonalcoholic
fluids; wearing lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing; and
reducing or eliminating strenuous activities or doing them during cooler
parts of the day. Periodically checking on neighbors who do not have air
conditioning is recommended. By knowing who is at risk and what
prevention measures to take, heat-related illness and death can be
prevented.
top |