Heat Advisory Urges Heat Illness Awareness

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – The National Weather Service has issued a Heat Advisory for our area this week.

A heat advisory is based on heat indexes which factor in temperatures combined with the relative humidity. Indexes consider what the conditions feel like to the human body. Heat advisories are issued when the heat indexes exceed 100 degrees.

Zanesville Muskingum County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Jack Butterfield mentioned that prolonged heat advisories are rarely issued this early in the season and should be taken very seriously.

“So it’s vitally important that people understand how important this is,” Butterfield said. “It’s not an inconvenient heat. It is a life threatening heat. And that’s really important. Heat illness runs the gamut from heat rash, to sunburn, to heat cramps, to heat exhaustion, to heat stroke in increasing severity.”

Butterfield described symptoms of those physical dangers that people develop due to high temperatures and listed the appropriate precautions that people should take.

“Heat exhaustion is an extreme of sweating,” Butterfield said. “It dehydrates you. It makes your body systems not function well. And you become pale. And your heart races. And you feel weak and nauseated and dizzy. Those are very severe warning signs that you need to reverse what you’re doing. Get where it’s cool. Drink plenty of fluids and get some rest.”

Butterfield noted that people on medications can be more easily affected by the heat and that by staying in the shade and or air conditioning during the next few days can help you avoid the extreme temperatures.