USM Faculty Experts Offer Advice for Handling Extreme Temperatures
Wed, 06/28/2023 - 07:57am | By: Van Arnold
How hot is it? Not as scorching as forecasters expect it to be over the next several days in the Pine Belt area.
Temperatures are expected to reach a high of 101 on Thursday; 102 on Friday; 101 on Saturday, and 99 on Sunday, according to the Weather Channel. Heat indexes, which indicate how hot temperatures actually feel, are forecast to exceed 110 degrees during that period.
Faculty experts at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) say that being weather-alert can prevent heat-related conditions or illnesses.
“Stay hydrated is the first and foremost rule in this heat,” said Dr. Lisa Morgan, associate professor and Nurse Practitioner Clinical Coordinator at USM. “Water is the suggested method of hydration. Sports drinks are good for replenishing electrolytes but contain a lot of sugar. One bottle of sports drink is all that is needed to replenish a day’s worth of sweating.”
Morgan offered additional suggestions:
- Wear a hat that has a wide brim and is ventilated
- Frogg Toggs® or other cooling systems are helpful
- Take frequent breaks in the shade
- Listen to your body – headache, nausea, weakness, or dizziness can all be signs of over-heating
Athletic trainers spend countless hours amid the Deep South’s torrid summers, assisting athletes at all levels. Dr. Leslie Oglesby, Director of the Athletic Training Program at USM, explains that heat awareness and training is a major component of the course curriculum at USM.
“Absolutely. One of the domains in athletic training is ‘Immediate and Emergency Care,” said Oglesby. “This includes environmental conditions such as lightning safety and heat/cold illnesses. Our students are trained in how to assess a core temperature, and how to distinguish between the various heat illnesses, and how to manage each condition within our scope of practice.”
Oglesby points out that high temperatures are dangerous enough but coupling those with high humidity increases the danger.
“This is because high humidity impairs the ability of sweat to evaporate from our skin, which is the body’s natural cooling mechanism,” he said. “This is why high humidity makes it ‘feel’ hotter than the air temperature.”
Residents of South Mississippi should be particularly cautious this time of year regarding a deadly condition known as heatstroke. Prolonged exposure or physical exertion in extreme temperatures can lead to this most serious form of heat injury. Heatstroke can occur if one’s body temperature rises to 105 F or higher, requiring emergency treatment. Untreated heatstroke can quickly damage the brain, heart, kidneys, and muscles. The damage worsens the longer treatment is delayed, increasing the risk of serious complications or death.
Oglesby emphasizes the importance of knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
“Symptoms may vary, but victims of heat exhaustion tend to continue to sweat heavily, may feel weak or dizzy and feel that it is difficult or impossible to continue activity,” he said. “Victims of heatstroke will have central nervous system dysfunction (altered level of consciousness, seizures, etc.). Heatstroke is a medical emergency that requires calling 911 and immediate cooling of the victim.”
Morgan acknowledges that heatstroke can sneak up on people, and she warns that those who work or play in extreme heat are taking elevated risks.
“Avoiding outside work on days of extreme temps is highly recommended. Do yard work in the early morning before 10 a.m. or late afternoon/evening after 5 p.m.,” said Morgan. “Most of this is common sense, but those not from this area may not know, or recognize, what to do.”
The prevailing message from Morgan and Oglesby is a simple one: stay hydrated.