Heat Is Serious Matter, How To Take Care Of Yourself And Others

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INDIANAPOLIS — You already know it’s going to be very hot this weekend. The entire state of Indiana is under an Excessive Heat Warning through Sunday, as highs will be in the upper 90s and heat indices will be close to 110 degrees.

Dr. Dan O’Donnell with Indianapolis EMS says this extreme heat is a serious matter.

He says this time of the year, the number of ambulance calls they get goes up, mostly due to heat-related illnesses.

There are signs that you should look out for to make sure your loved ones stay safe in this weather.

“You’ll just start feeling a little hot,” O’Donnell said. “Then you start getting nauseous and get sick to your stomach.”

He added that a serious sign is if you stop sweating. That is when you will really want to make sure you get in a nice, indoor facility as soon as you can.

The smallest, easiest tasks can even take a toll on you in this weather.

“You may decide ‘Hey, I’m gonna walk,’ and that’s fine when it’s in the mid to low 80s,” O’Donnell said. “But now that we’re facing over 100 degrees with the heat index, that simple walk can be quite stressful on your body.”

He says if you do have outdoor plans this weekend, be overly cautious with what activities you do.

“Take it slow,” O’Donnell said. “It’s okay to step into some cool air from time-to-time, so you can enjoy all the weekend activities.”

There are numerous facilities opening up cooling stations this weekend to help people in this heat. For those in Indianapolis, you can go to https://www.indy.gov/activity/extreme-heat-safety for a full list of places that will be open to provide relief.