Fort Bend County Health & Human Services provides heat safety tips

9 06 2011

No rain in our area.  Hot windy conditions on a daily basis.  Drought conditions persisting week after week.  Not the normal May and June we are accustomed to in Fort Bend County.  Summer has started early in Fort Bend County in 2011.  And looking at the forecast for the next week—- no relief in sight.  However, below, please review the hints below, provided by our County public health officials, on how to better cope with the extreme heat conditions facing us.

With extreme heat arriving early this summer, Fort Bend County Health & Human Services would like to remind everyone to take precautions and be safe outdoors.  Symptoms of heat related illness include high body temperature, confusion, nausea, and headache.  If you experience these symptoms move to a cool area, take a cool shower, and drink plenty of water.  Know the illnesses caused by extreme heat:

• Heat Stroke-the most serious heat-related disorder. It occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down.

• Heat Exhaustion-Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of the water and salt, usually through excessive sweating.

• Heat Syncope- fainting (syncope) episode or dizziness that usually occurs with prolonged standing or sudden rising from a sitting or lying position.

• Heat Rash-skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather.

To prevent extreme heat illness use these tips:

• Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid drinks with alcohol, caffeine or a lot of sugar. Don’t wait until you are thirsty. Start drinking fluids 30 minutes before going out.

• Plan strenuous outdoor activity for early morning or evening when the temperature is lower.

• Take frequent breaks when working outside.

• Wear sunscreen SPF 15 or higher, wide-brimmed hats and light-colored, loose-fitting clothes.

• Check with a doctor about the effects of sun and heat when taking prescription drugs, especially diuretics or antihistamines.

• Dress infants and children in cool, loose clothing. Shade their heads and faces with hats or an umbrella.

• Check frequently on the elderly and others who made need help.

• Never leave anyone or pets in a closed, parked vehicle in hot weather.


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Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels provides Cooling Center to beat heat

17 08 2010

Day upon day of Heat Advisories have been issued for Fort Bend County.  No sign of the heat letting up.  Article today in Fort Bend Herald noting how one of our local non-profit agencies is assisting those who have a difficult time finding a cool place during this heat wave.  The article is below:

As the summer heat continues, the need to stay cool becomes all the more important, especially for the elderly.  To get out of the heat, Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels provides a Cooling Center for those with no place to go during the hot summer months.  And for those that cannot get to the location, Fort Bend County Public Transportation can help them get there.

The Cooling Center is located at the Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels, 1330 Band Road in Rosenberg , just behind the Fort Bend County Fairgrounds off of Highway 36.  The building is open from 8 am – 5 pm, Monday- Friday, and it is air conditioned. The Cooling Centers also provides water fountains and leisure activities (cards, board games) for those who visit.

If anyone needs assistance getting to and from the Cooling Center please take advantage of Fort Bend Transit Services.  Fort Bend County currently offers shared ride bus services to the citizens of Fort Bend County.  The scheduled ride transportation service provides trips within Fort Bend County.

Trip fares are $1 per person each way. Passengers must be ready 15 minutes before scheduled pick up time.  This is a curb-to-curb service; however, persons with disabilities may request door-to-door service.  All passengers must wear seat restraints. Seat restraints must be provided for children 40 pounds or less. Passengers 12 years or younger must be accompanied by another person 18 years or older.  For more information please call 281-633-RIDE or 866-751-TRIP.

For those who can’t get to the Cooling Center and don’t have air conditioning, here are some tips to stay cool:

• Just add water: Ball up and soak a T-shirt in the sink, wring it out, put it on and sit in a lawn chair (or other chair that lets air through to you) in front of a fan. Re-wet as it dries. Make sure not to soak it with cold water. It can be colder than you think. Wear a short-sleeved shirt and put water on the sleeves. If there is a breeze or fan blowing on you, you can actually get cold.  Use a squirt bottle, the sink or hose if outside to keep your sleeves wet.

• Dress for the heat: Wear light colors and natural fabrics (cotton, silk, linen) rather than polyester, rayon, or other artificial fibers.  Covering up may actually keep your cooler, especially if the heat is low in humidity.  By protecting your skin from the sun beating down, you’ll also shade your skin.

• Go downstairs: Warm air is less dense than cooler air so it ends up layered on top of the downward moving cooler air.  If you’re in a house, for example, get lower than the roof. Make your way to the basement or lower level. It will be cooler there.


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Categories : Emergency Management, Extreme Heat, Fort Bend Seniors Meals on Wheels

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