Prince George's County Shares Tips to Beat the Heat

The air quality index in Prince George’s County may verge on unhealthy levels for individuals at risk of suffering heat-related illnesses in the coming days, and the county’s Office of Emergency Management is sharing tips on how local residents can avoid the heat.

“Everyone is vulnerable to heat-related illnesses when their bodies are unable to properly cool themselves. In such cases, a person’s body temperature rises rapidly and may damage the brain and or other vital organs,” Pamela B. Creekmur, Health Officer for Prince George’s County, said in a news release published Tuesday. “We encourage all residents to check on the elderly, neighbors, family and friends.”

The release explains “extreme heat can be dangerous and even deadly if precautionary measures for protection are not taken,” and shares some tips on how residents can avoid the heat.

From the release:

• Seek shelter in air-conditioned facilities such as shopping malls, libraries, grocery stores or movie theaters.
• Utilize one of the designated Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) Recreational Cooling Centers to seek relief. These neighborhood facilities are open to County residents during normal business hours.
• Avoid the heat, reduce activity, drink plenty of water.
• Adjust your schedule to start earlier if you work outdoors (if possible)
• Wear light colored clothing, a hat and sunscreen
• Take frequent rest breaks in the air conditioning or shade
• Eat smaller meals, more often
• Take cool bathes
• Check on relatives and friends, especially the elderly

The county also shared some tips on how to detect heat-related illnesses. Here are a few warnings from the release:

• Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness that occurs when the body becomes unable to control its temperature and is unable to cool down. With the potential for body temperatures to rise to 105 degrees or higher, individuals may begin to exhibit symptoms such as red dry skin, disorientation, delirium, and nausea.
• Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several hours of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include muscle cramps, dizziness, weakness and/or headaches.

The high temperature in Prince George’s County is slated to top 80 degrees every day for the remainder of the week, according to the National Weather Service forecast.