“Protect athletes from heat-related illness”
(Salisbury, MD) - Wicomico County is experiencing extreme heat with the highest temperatures forecasted for Wednesday, July 18, 2012. Extremely hot weather can cause serious health effects such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke which may lead to death. Athletes and people who exercise in extreme heat are more likely to become dehydrated and are more likely to get heat illness.
Lori Brewster, Wicomico County Health Officer encourages everyone to help the athletes under your supervision stay cool, hydrated, and informed.
If an athlete feels faint or even weak, STOP all activity and get them to a cool environment.
Limit outdoor activity, especially midday when it is the hottest part of the day.
Schedule workouts and practices earlier or later in the day to avoid midday heat.
Pace activity. Start activities slow and pick up the pace gradually.
Encourage athletes to:
Drink from two to four cups of water every hour while exercising. Muscle cramping may be an early sign of heat illness.
Monitor a teammate’s condition, and have someone do the same for them.
Wear a baseball cap and loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
Seek medical care immediately if an athlete experiences symptoms of heat illness.
“Heat related illnesses are a serious health threat and can be life threatening,” says Mrs. Brewster, “I urge athletes to drink lots of water, stay cool, and look out for each other.”
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
1 comment:
What a nation of little girls and girlie boys we have become. Summer was pretty hot when I was a kid, too. And very few had air conditioning. We worked all day on the farm or in the fields with a just a cooler of water (usually lukewarm). Played baseball for HOURS in the sun. For HOURS!! NO ONE ever died or fell over from "sunstroke". Never even heard of such a thing...In the ARMY, marched for MILES without being ALLOWED to take a drink (carrying a rifle and a backpack. No one in my unit EVER fell over then, either. Of course, we were outside a lot. And didn't weigh 250 pounds at age eight. Didn't spend our youth in the living room killing "zombies" and eating candy. Or talking all day on our free cell phones while SOMEONE ELSE picked weeds in the garden...I'd call y'all a bunch of lilly sissies, but then I'd have to apologize to the sissies for comparing them to you...
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