Keeping cool is critical in safely managing summer heat

By Hannah Wever
Review Staff Writer

Published: July 24, 2008

Even before it’s hot enough to fry an egg outside, it’s hot enough to cause damage to the human body. As temperatures rise, so does the number of folks at risk for heat-related illnesses like heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“Heat-related illness can be a serious-even life threatening-condition,” Medical Director at the Orange Medical Center Dr. Joe Aloi said.
Anyone can develop heat-related illness, but the most frequently affected are people who work outdoors, athletes, young children and the elderly. Folks at the greatest risk are those with high blood pressure, on certain medications and those who work outdoors.
Heat exhaustion, a far milder condition than heatstroke, occurs when the body’s core temperature climbs faster than its ability to cool itself. The condition can also develop if the body’s water or sodium levels are depleted, compromising the ability to sweat. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include dizziness, thirst, weakness, cramping, headache and a rapid, weak pulse.
The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) recommends drinking plenty of fluids-at least two to four glasses an hour-to replace salt and minerals lost through sweating. During the height of summer heat, a cool bath or shower, resting in an air-conditioned area (even for just a couple of hours per day) will ward off heat exhaustion.
The VDH suggests planning outdoor activities in the mornings or evenings, out of the heat of the day. Additionally, it’s worth taking steps like applying sunscreen or wearing a hat to prevent sunburn. When folks are sunburned, their bodies can’t cool themselves as they usually would.
If someone is suffering from heat exhaustion, sports beverages, ice packs on pulse points and air conditioning should resolve the condition within a few hours. But left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to life threatening heat stroke, when the body loses the ability to control its internal temperature.
For patients with heatstroke, rapid and effective cooling is crucial.
“Simple signs of something more serious are skin that is hot and dry, confusion and/or vomiting,” Aloi said. Those are all reasons to suspect heatstroke, and go the extra step, he added.
Emergency medical help is crucial once signs of heatstroke are apparent. Unable to cool down, a body temperature can soar to as high as 106 degrees in 15 minutes, and without emergency treatment, the result can be permanent disability or death.
“Virginia’s intense summer heat and humidity can be dangerous, particularly for people in need.  This program can be of great assistance to those in a low-income household, especially children, the disabled, the elderly and others who may who may be vulnerable to heat,” Virginia Department of Social Services Commissioner Anthony Conyers, Jr. said.
Orange County Department of Social Services Director Bob Lingo said there is certainly a need in the community for help during the heat, although resources are extremely limited.
Locally, there is limited assistance available to help those who qualify keep their homes at a safe temperature during extreme heat. Through a federal block grant, and the Department of Social Services, low-income households that contain a vulnerable person and a very real need can apply for assistance in purchasing or repairing an air conditioning system or unit.
Orange County Department of Social Services Director Bob Lingo said for the purposes of qualification for assistance, “‘Vulnerable” means that there is a child under the age of six or an adult over the age of 60 or someone who is disabled living in the household.”
The Cooling Assistance Program can also help folks who meet strict qualification requirements with utility deposits and bills.
“To receive Cooling Assistance, one must also be income-eligible,” Lingo explained. Eligibility is roughly the same for the cooling program as it is for food stamps-about 150 percent of the federal poverty line,” Lingo added.  “For one person that is a gross monthly income of $1,107 or $2,238 for a family of four.”
Lingo said if the funding runs out before everyone who needs help has access to help, it won’t be the first time.
“Two years ago the program did indeed run out of money before it ran out of eligible clients. We have already taken in over 125 applications,” Lingo said.
For more information on assistance available to Orange County residents, contact the Orange County Department of Social Services at (540) 672-1155.