Hit up the splash pad and stay hydrated to beat the heat as the mercury rises, and sweating starts and never seems to stop. (Tehosterihens Deer, The Eastern Door)
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Patrick J. Zachary
As of now, summer has arrived and with it comes the heat.
For many people, this is an opportunity to enjoy the fresh air, however, for others it is a different story. Despite the widespread installation of air conditioners, there are still people who don’t have air conditioning in their homes and some of those people are elderly.
Think about that when you look at your phone and notice it’s 34 Celsius with humidity.
The Eastern Door spoke with public safety officer Kellyann Meloche about potential dangers of high heat. She said heatstroke is still a large threat for young children and the elderly, as their bodies have difficulty regulating body temperatures.
Heatstroke causes serious damage to vital organs and going untreated can cause death due to kidney failure, heart complications, among others.
Symptoms of heatstroke include headache, dizziness, excessive sweating, and a fast pulse. If someone is showing these signs move them to a cool place, give them plenty of fluids, and let them lie down. If their condition doesn’t improve after 45 minutes, they may need treatment.
In Kahnawake there is an emergency plan for elders, so whenever there is a heat warning elders are invited to go to the elders’ lodge to participate in indoor activities.
For the general public, there are many options.
During a heat wave the best options are to stay in the shade, drink plenty of water before you feel thirsty because as soon as you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated, take relief in public places such as malls because many have air conditioning, do less exercise because it will put a lot of strain on the body, and don’t take cold showers because it will only cool you off temporarily then your body will fight hard to reheat causing you to become even hotter than before.
Some other good tips to stay cool are to place ice in front of a fan to spread cooler air around your house, take a cloth soaked with cold water and place in around your neck, wear clothes made from cotton, and keep the blinds closed.
It is also important to remember that pets can also overheat so remember to give them plenty of water and keep them in the shade.
And, if this isn’t blaringly obvious, leave nothing living in a vehicle with the windows rolled up. This is cruel.
Stay cool Kahnawake.
news@ed.quanglo.ca
