Jul 13, 2024 By Paul Paterra 4 min read

The old Glenn Frey song, “The Heat is On,” pretty much sums up the summer so far.

With temperatures hovering in the 90s accompanied by heat indexes in triple digits, the average high of 83 degrees is being surpassed with regularity.

And more of the same is on the way.

Rich Redmond, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service, said to expect more 90 degree days throughout the weekend and into next week.

“We’re going to get into a more hot and humid pattern,” Redmond said. “At least into Tuesday we’re going to be near 90 or in the low 90s every day.”

So what are some ways to beat the heat?

Avoid being outdoors between noon and 4 p.m., wear light-colored and loose-fitting clothing and drink plenty of water, says Dr. Sara Casile of UPMC Washington’s outpatient primary care practice.

“You want to be indoors with fans or air conditioning,” she said. “If you don’t have it in your house, go to a public space that has some of that.”

Extreme heat poses danger to both the elderly as well as the very young. For those without access to air conditioning, cooling centers are available throughout the region, including the Washington Area Senior Center, Charleroi Fire Station and Connellsville Area Senior Center.

“Children’s body temperature rises much faster than adults,” said Dr. Sundeep Ekbote, regional chief medical officer and director of emergency medicine at Penn Highlands Health Center, Southwest Region.

“The same holds true for pets, especially smaller ones. Never leave children or pets in a car unattended. Every year, more than 30 children die in this country from being left in a vehicle.”

Signs of heat-related illness include headache, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat or heavy sweating. At the first sign of illness, get out of the heat.

“Immediately remove the person from heat exposure and begin cooling in the shade or air conditioned area,” Ekbote said. “Lay the person down and raise their legs a bit. If possible, drink some electrolyte solution or sports drink. Remove any constrictive or heavy clothes. Seek medical attention if the person is confused, vomiting or persistently dizzy.”

Exercise with care

Exercise regimens can be maintained with a little planning and modification. Move outdoor workouts to the cooler parts of the day, or, if possible, exercise indoors.

The John Woodruff 5K Run & Walk, an annual summer tradition in Connellsville, was held last week with 392 people finishing the event on yet another unseasonably warm day.

Kristie Zavatchan, a Woodruff 5K committee member, said a number of procedures were in place to make the event safe for participants, including providing buckets of ice water with sponges at the finish, and misting fans and water stops along the route.

Zavatchan offered a few suggestions for outdoor exercise enthusiasts, such as wetting and freezing bandanas or handkerchiefs freezer, and tying them loosely around the head or neck. Some folks wet and freeze baseball caps or place a few ice cubes under headwear.

Casile said keeping the skin moist and cool can help lower body temperature. She also stressed the importance of sunscreen to prevent sunburn.

“When it’s this hot and this sunny you will burn pretty easily,” she said. “That’s a whole different heat-related illness.”

Stay cool with fuel

Melissa Accardi, registered dietician with the Wilfred R. Cameron Wellness Center in Washington, recommends eating foods with high water contents, and dispels the notion that eating spicy foods helps people cool down.

“I wouldn’t recommend eating to sweat because I feel we’re already sweating,” Accardi said. “Foods that make you sweat are high-calorie, high in fat. They’re hard on the digestive system. It almost shocks the body a little bit. We’re already sweating, do we really want to sweat more?”

Instead, fruits and vegetables, especially those high in water content, are better choices.

“Anything that comes from the refrigerator that we have to keep cool,” Accardi said. “Fruits are good for super hydration, like watermelons. Cucumbers are actually the produce with the highest content of water. It’s higher than all of the fruits.”

She also suggests eating Popsicles or frozen pops containing fruit juice.

“You can make a fruit smoothie, then freeze it and you have Popsicle molds,” Accardi said. “Frozen grapes are a nice option to keep cool. If you eat physically cold temperature foods or drink cold beverages it will cool the internal body temperature down.”