Temperatures are expected to climb into the high 90s multiple days this week throughout the Rochester region, increasing the likelihood of heatstroke.
A heat advisory is in effect from noon Monday until 8 p.m. Thursday for western New York, including the Rochester area, and heat index values are expected to reach the upper 90s on Monday and climb as high as 104 degrees from Tuesday through Thursday, the National Weather Service in Buffalo says.
Local schools are also preparing for the extreme heat wave as the Rochester City School District has announced it's dismissing pre-kindergarten through eighth grade students early and all afterschool activities are canceled Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
Here's what to know about heatstroke and which symptoms you should be looking out for this week.
How dangerous is heatstroke?
Heatstroke is the most serious heat-related illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When your body can no longer control its temperature, heatstroke occurs, and your body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10-15 minutes. Permanent disability or death can result from heatstroke if you don't receive emergency treatment.
What are the symptoms of heatstroke?
Anyone can get heatstroke, the Cleveland Clinic says, but infants and the elderly are at greater risk of developing it because their bodies may not be able to effectively regulate temperature.
Here are some of the heatstroke symptoms the CDC and Cleveland Clinic say you should look out for.
- Confusion, altered mental status, slurred speech
- Fainting, dizziness, loss of consciousness
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Seizures
- Problems with movement and coordination, balance problems
- Nausea and vomiting
- Very high body temperature
- Low or high blood pressure
- Lung crackles
- Low urine output
- Rapid breathing or fast heart rate
- Weakness
- Fatal if treatment is delayed
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Heatstroke vs. heat exhaustion
There are two types of heatstroke — exertional and non-exertional — according to the Cleveland Clinic. Exertional heatstroke is typically the result of physical overexertion in hot, humid conditions and can develop in a matter of hours. Non-exertional heatstroke can take days to develop and can occur due to age or underlying health conditions.
Heat exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating, the CDC says. Symptoms include headache, nausea, dizziness, weakness, irritability, thirst, heavy sweating, elevated body temperature and decreased urine output.
Heat exhaustion can develop into heatstroke if left untreated but isn't as severe and usually isn't life threatening.
How to immediately treat heatstroke
Calling 911 at the first signs of heat stroke is crucial but while you wait for emergency medical services to arrive, here are some actions the CDC says you can take.
- Move the person to a shaded, cool area and remove outer clothing
- Cool quickly with cold water or an ice bath, if possible. Wetting the person's skin, placing cold wet cloths or ice on the head, neck, armpits and groin and soaking the clothing with cool water also helps.
- Circulate air around the person to speed cooling
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When should you seek emergency services for heat stroke?
Immediately. If a person is exhibiting signs of heat stroke, you should call 911 right away.
At the hospital, a person suffering from heat stroke may receive cooled intravenous fluids, a cooling blanket, an ice bath, medication to prevent seizures and/or supplemental oxygen, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
The severity of your heatstroke and how well your organs are functioning will determine how long of a hospital stay you'll have.
How to prevent heat stroke
Heatstroke occurs in about 20 out of 100,000 people each year and causes between 240-833 deaths in the U.S. annually, the CDC said. Here are some ways the Cleveland Clinic says you can prevent heatstroke.
- Avoid strenuous activity in hot, humid conditions
- Consume sports drinks, lightly salted water or broth
- Never leave children or pets in closed, hot spaces
- Stay in air-conditioned or well-ventilated areas during heat waves
- Wear lightweight, light-colored and loose-fitting clothing if you'll be outside in the heat
- Let your body gradually acclimate to warm temperatures over several weeks if you know you'll have to be in hot conditions for work or sports
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Cooling centers in the Rochester area
As temperatures rise this week, there are several places you can go to escape the heat in Rochester. Here are the open R-Centers:
- Adams, 85 Adams St.
- Avenue D, 200 Avenue D
- Carter, 500 Carter St.
- Frederick Douglass, 999 South Ave.
- Edgerton, 41 Backus St.
- Willie W. Lightfoot, 271 Flint St.
- David F. Gantt, 700 North St.
- Trenton & Pamela Jackson, 485 N. Clinton Ave.
- Thomas P. Ryan, 530 Webster Ave.
- Tyshaun Cauldwell R-Center for Hope, 524 Campbell St.
Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes atebarnes@gannett.comor on Twitter@byemilybarnes.
