Stay Safe in the Summer Heat by Bryan Jones, MCG Sports Medicine Center

Summers are often filled with camps, practices and tournament games in preparation for the upcoming school year. But it is also one of the most dangerous times of the year to be active outdoors because of the intense heat.

According to the Rehydration Project of 2002, 2.2 million children die each year due to dehydration. But by taking certain precautions, you can help ward off this life-threatening condition:

· Have a pre-participation exam and/or a physical by a medical physician before starting organized activities.

· Begin training ahead of time so your body becomes acclimated to the heat gradually.

· Drink at least two to three eight-ounce glasses of water at least an hour before activity, and drink water or a sports drink (to replenish electrolytes) every 20 minutes during activity. Avoid caffeinated drinks because they will dehydrate you.

· Keep a weight chart. Weigh before and after each practice. If a person loses three percent or more of body weight, he or she should sit and drink until the normal weight returns.

· Avoid activities or practices during the hottest part of the day (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and instead schedule in the morning or late afternoon.

· Wear light-colored, lightweight clothes during activities or practices, and change sweat-soaked clothes so the body can cool itself more easily.

· Monitor the temperature and humidity. If the humidity is more than 75 percent, the evaporation of sweat becomes more difficult.

· Add a little salt to meals to help maintain electrolyte levels.

· Know the signs. The first signs of dehydration include thirst, dry lips, dry mouth, flushed skin, fatigue, irritability, headache, dark urine and decreased urine output. Heat cramps are the next step, followed by heat exhaustion (difficulty breathing, dizziness, chills, nausea, vomiting and extreme weakness). Rest, cooling off and drinking cool liquids are advised to treat these early stages; however, medical attention is needed if heat stroke develops. If a person exhibits rapid and shallow breathing, rapid heartbeat, unusually high or low blood pressure, lack of sweating, mental confusion, disorientation, collapses or loses consciousness, call 911 immediately.

Heat illness can be serious. By educating yourself and your family, you can help them safely enjoy the heat of summer.

MCG Health System is composed of three separate organizations — MCG Health, Inc. and the clinical services offered by the faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the members of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation. The physicians of MCG Health System are community physicians, faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia, or employees of the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation, not employees of MCG Health, Inc. MCG Health, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCG Medical Center, MCG Children’s Medical Center, the MCG Sports Medicine Center, MCG Ambulatory Care Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center and related clinical facilities and services. MCG Health, Inc. was formed to support the research and education mission of the Medical College of Georgia and to build the economic growth of the CSRA, the state of Georgia and the Southeast by providing an environment for faculty employees of the Medical College of Georgia and the MCG Physicians Practice Group Foundation and community physicians to deliver the highest level of primary and specialty health care. For more information, please visit www.MCGHealth.org.


###