With summer upon us, and high temperatures predicted for the coming days, Interim City Health Officer, Mauro Torno, is advising residents to take precautions against the heat.
“It’s important for people to be familiar with and practice heat precautions to protect themselves from heat-related illness and injury, especially while participating in outdoor activities,” said Dr. Torno.
The National Weather Service is forecasting highs in the mid-90s in parts of Long Beach and even higher in other parts of Southern California from today through Monday, June 20, 2016.
The elderly, those with chronic illnesses, infants and young children are at greater risk for heat-related illness. However everyone should take the following precautions to reduce the risk of heat related illness and injury:
- Seek air-conditioned environments during peak heat hours, such as at stores, malls, theaters, etc. All Parks, Recreation and Marine Community Centers are designated cooling centers; for a list of Community Centers and their hours, visit http://bit.ly/LBCoolingCenters.
- Check on frail elderly or home-bound individuals, and young children to make sure they are not affected by the heat.
- Never leave a child or pet in a parked car or asleep in the direct sunlight.
- Remain hydrated by drinking water before, during, and after outdoor activities.
- Make sure pets have plenty of shade and water to drink.
- Take frequent breaks while working or playing outdoors.
- Wear loose-fitting, light weight, light colored clothing; wear a wide-brimmed hat to cover the face, ears and neck if you’ll be outside.
- Apply sunscreen (at least SPF 15) 15 minutes before going outdoors and re-apply at least every two hours – sunscreen prevents skin cancer.
- Drink plenty of fluids, but avoid beverages that have caffeine or alcohol.
- Plan strenuous outdoor activities for cooler parts of the day; limit time outside during peak heat hours.
- Pace physical activities, start slowly and pick up the pace gradually.
- Wear sunglasses that provide 100 percent UVA and UVB protection. Chronic exposure to the sun can cause cataracts.
- Move to a cooler location at the first sign of heat illness (dizziness, nausea, headaches, muscle cramps). Rest and slowly drink a cool liquid.
- Prevent children from drowning by providing adult supervision at all times and having an entry-proof barrier that surrounds the pool or spa.
For more information on how to stay healthy during hot weather, please visit the Health Department’s website at www.longbeach.gov/health.