American Red Cross Urges Caution As Heat Indices Rise
ST. LOUIS - With hot temperatures and high humidity on the horizon, the American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas urges residents to take precautions against the heat. According to the National Library of Medicine, extreme heat causes more deaths than any other weather-related hazard, killing 12,000 people living in the U.S. each year. In addition, the CDC reports that more than 65,000 people visit an emergency room in the U.S. for acute heat illness every summer. Everyone is at risk when temperatures rise above 90 degrees; and the elderly and the very young are most susceptible to heat and heat-related illnesses. Heat-related illnesses can cause serious injury and even death if unattended. Signs of heat-related illnesses include nausea, dizziness, flushed or pale skin, heavy sweating and headaches. Persons with heat-related illness should be moved to a cool place, given cool water to drink and ice packs or cool wet cloths should be applied to the skin. If a victim refuses water,