Staying Safe in Extreme Heat: Tips for Families, Pets, and Seniors

Those scorching summer days are back again. You know the ones - where your shirt sticks to your back before you've even grabbed the morning paper. When temperatures climb above 90 for days on end, your body's working overtime just trying not to melt.

Ever tried sleeping without AC during a heat wave? Tossing and turning on sweaty sheets all night isn't just uncomfortable - it's downright dangerous.

Know Your Enemy: Understanding Heat Problems

When the sun bakes sidewalks and parking lots all day, it can turn neighborhoods into giant ovens. Nights don't cool down much during extreme heat waves, especially in cities where concrete holds heat like a grudge. Even though our bodies try to cool off by sweating, sometimes that's not enough.

Heat illness prevention isn't complicated, but you have to take it seriously. First comes heat exhaustion - you get dizzy and tired, maybe feel sick to your stomach. Your skin feels clammy even though you're burning up inside. Ignore those warnings, and you're headed for heat stroke - where your body temperature shoots past 103. People with heat stroke get confused. Their skin turns hot and red but stops sweating. That's when ambulances need to be called.