How to Stay Safe and Healthy in a Louisiana Summer?

Introduction

The Climate Prediction Center predicts a 40% to 50% chance of above-normal temperatures in Louisiana this summer, which some people are already experiencing. As more people take part in outdoor summer activities, experts have some safety tips.

Hydration and Sun Protection

Dr. Donna O’Shea, chief medical officer of population health for UnitedHealthcare, suggested remembering to drink water every 15 minutes, wear helmets when biking, and use sun-protective clothing and sunscreen.

“Sunscreen should be applied, reapplied throughout the day,” O’Shea recommended. “At least every two hours, and immediately after swimming or toweling off, or if you’ve just been very active and have excess sweating.”

She added many health care providers, including UnitedHealthcare, offer virtual doctor visits 24 hours a day, at no additional cost, where you can ask questions about heat-related illnesses.

Recognizing Heat-Related Illnesses

Heat exhaustion with muscle cramps, paleness, and heavy sweating needs medical attention if it lasts more than an hour. But heatstroke, marked by a temperature of at least 103 degrees and no sweating, is an immediate emergency.

Dr. Ryan Bird, medical director of the emergency department at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, reports seeing many heat exhaustion cases posing other risks for older people.

“A lot of those folks coming in are either just nearly fainting, or fainting themselves,” Bird pointed out. “If you faint in a fall, trauma. So, we’re seeing hip fractures, we’re seeing head injuries. So, it’s not even just primarily with the heat exhaustion, but the secondary issues that come with it.”

Additional Safety Tips

Other safety reminders include never leaving children or pets in a car, even with windows down. And children should always wear life jackets when near bodies of water. Drowning is a leading cause of death in young kids. O’Shea encouraged adults to become CPR-certified and to enroll kids in swimming lessons.

“Swimming classes are a great way to learn basic swimming and water skills and reduce that risk of drowning,” O’Shea noted. “But nothing substitutes for adult supervision when children are near or around the water.”

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