ST. LOUIS — Brace for a rise in St. Louis-area heat and humidity in addition to poor air quality as we approach June. The elderly, children and those facing disabilities or health problems can be especially vulnerable.
5 On Your Side's Weather First Team recommends that those with any lung problems or very active adults and children should limit prolonged, intense outdoor activity.
Warm temperatures can exacerbate health problems, sudden tiredness or irritation, dehydration or lack of rest while under the sun. Mild bodily reactions like heat exhaustion, faint spells or dizziness can happen without the appropriate planning this summer.
Note: The video above is from June 2022.
The easiest thing you can do to prevent heat-related illness is to find a St. Louis-area cooling center and beat the heat. There are 24 in the City of St. Louis, dozens more in St. Louis County and others in the surrounding counties.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services has compiled a map of locations around the state and a few in the Metro East. You can find a cooling center near you by clicking here or using the map below.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also recommends remaining in an air-conditioned place to prevent heat-related illness.
According to the CDC, an average of 700 heat-related deaths occur per year, and more than 60,000 emergency room visits and 9,000 hospitalizations happen due to heat in the United States.
"Hot weather is associated with an increase in heat-related illnesses, including cardiovascular and respiratory complications, renal failure, electrolyte imbalance, kidney stones, negative impacts on fetal health, and preterm birth," according to the CDC.
More information:
In addition to the recommendations above, here are more ways to beat the heat amid dangerously warm temperatures and environmental hazards this summer:
- Wear appropriate clothing such as lightweight, light-colored, or loose-fitting options to stay cool.
- If you don't visit a cooling center, then seek a shopping mall or public library to cool your body down until you're ready to go back outside into the heat.
- Take a cool shower or bath.
- Use your stove or oven less to maintain a cooler home.
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