LEONARD GRAY

LULING – This weekend St. Charles Parish is expected to be the hottest so far this year, with heat indexes from 100 to 110 degrees. The National Weather Service, which issued a heat advisory for today through Monday, predicted daytime highs to be near 95 degrees with 50 percent humidity. “This is a dangerous situation,” a NWS spokesperson said. “Children the elderly and people with chronic ailments are usually the first to suffer from the excessive heat. Friends, relatives or neighbors should check on people who may be at risk.” Denise North, director of nursing at St. Charles Parish Hospital, offered some sensible ways to avoid the worst effects of the blistering heat. “One of the biggest prevention techniques people overlook is not increasing their fluid intake,” North said. “The body uses sweat to cool itself.” Proper fluids include water, fruit juices or sports drinks with minerals. Alcoholic beverages are not advised, especially when a person is overheated. A normal amount of fluid intake would be one ounce for every two pounds of body weight. For example, a 200-pound man should consume 100 ounces of fluids per day, or 12 1/2 glasses, unless the person is on a fluid-restricted regime, such as a person with kidney or heart disease. With excess activity or heat, that same person should consume two to four glasses more per hour during that body-stressing time. North advises people to wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing and a hat when outdoors. Avoid sunburns and wear an effective sunscreen, as sunburns lessen the body’s ability to sweat. She added the National Center of Disease Control and Prevention of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services also recommends air conditioning and cool showers or baths. Those people especially at risk are children under age 4, adults over age 65 and overweight people, the NCDCP continued. “I suppose the most important thing is to stop what you are doing and cool off,” North added. The signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, pale skin, muscle cramps, dizziness, nausea and rapid, shallow breathing and pulse. Usually, cool beverages, rest and air conditioning are enough to bring the body back to normal. However, if the heat-related symptoms persist for more than an hour, a trip to an area medical facility is recommended. The signs of heatstroke, a much more serious condition, include a body temperature of 103 degrees or more, an absence of sweat, very rapid and strong pulse, throbbing headache, nausea, body cramps and possible unconsciousness. “This is an emergency situation and they need to seek emergency assistance,” North said of heatstroke which, she added, can cause brain damage. According to the NCDCP, excessive heat kills people by taxing the body beyond its normal abilities to reduce its temperature. In a normal year, about 175 Americans die from excessive heat exposure.