APPLETON, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The heat is once again on in Northeast Wisconsin.
With temps rising and high humidity following along with them, health officials are warning about heatstroke.
Water splashing, the sun beaming, heat advisories out, it’s sure beginning to look a lot like summer. But with extreme heat, also can come heatstroke and heat exhaustion.
“Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are major concerns,” ThedaCare pediatrician Dr. Sneha Subbarayan said. “It’s kind of like a progression, so heat exhaustion is the thing that happens first, and then if you’re continuing to get exposed to the high heat without relief, then you’ll eventually progress to heatstroke.”
Subbarayan says, the most susceptible and vulnerable to heatstroke are babies, young kids and the elderly. Realistically, though, without being careful to watch out for the tell-tale signs, it can happen to anyone.
“You start to show signs of dehydration, just feeling more tired, perhaps having a stronger pulse, eventually stop sweating, because your body starts to lose some of that moisture that you have,” said Subbarayan.
Staying hydrated by drinking lots of water and staying cool in air conditioned areas are a couple of ways to beat the heat.
For its part in trying to help people do just that, the Salvation Army Fox Cities has opened its doors, becoming a cooling shelter this summer.
“We want to make sure that those who are on the outside on the streets have a cool place to go to get away from the heat, where there’s water and other things that are available to them,” Major David Mink, commanding officer for the Salvation Army Fox Cities said.
One way to beat the heat is doing what looks like hundreds of people at Erb Pool in Appleton did Tuesday – jump into a pool!
“We prepare for days like these. It’s just one of those really hot days, so we expected this,” said Erb Pool manager Nick Fraser.
Doctors say it’s also very important to never leave children or pets in vehicles unattended in the summer and, if possible, avoid going out between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., when the heat is at its highest.
This summer the Salvation Army Fox Cities will serve as a cooling shelter from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
