Dangerous heat wave hits central NC, medical experts offer safety tips

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- Crowds flocked to the newly-opened Gipson Play Plaza Wednesday, taking advantage of another outdoor option as the start of summer nears.

"The water here at the park is perfect for keeping (the kids) cool and there's lots of shade on this playground. We took one look at our phones and the temperatures and were like, 'okay, where's their water? We're going to go there,'" said Sarah Miller from Apex.

We met with Miller and Alex Barker, friends from church, enjoying an early lunch late Wednesday morning at the covered benches along the side of the park. Both said they made it a point to try and be outside early, in an effort to avoid the warmest part of the day.

"My wife and I like to do early hangout time outside," said Barker.

As the region is in the midst of a heat wave, doctors are recommending frequent breaks from the outdoors.

"If you are going to be out in the heat all day, sweating quite a bit, you're losing a lot of electrolytes and sodium in particular in your sweat. If you just replace all of that with only regular water sometimes you can have some problems with your sodium levels," said Dr. Christine Knettel, an Emergency Physician with UNC Rex.

Many sports drinks include electrolytes, as do fruit juices and coconut water.

Infants, young children, older adults, and people with chronic health conditions are most at risk for heat exhaustion and heat-related illness. However, Knettel stresses everybody needs to be paying attention.

"Even if you're a young person, a conditioned athlete in your teens and twenties, we see folks have problems, rhabdomyolysis, muscle breakdown, and heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. So it's still an important thing to remember with youth athletics and young adults as well," said Knettel.

Symptoms of heat exhaustion, including muscle cramping and dizziness, are reversible if quickly addressed. However, if left untreated, it can progress to heat stroke, which is when a person's temperature exceeds 104 degrees.

"If you find that your symptoms are resolving with just resting and shade and getting to a cool place quickly, then that's fine. If you find that you either cannot or you're having lingering effects, then it's time to probably call the ambulance or at least come to the hospital to get assessed, because sometimes it really does require some pretty aggressive cooling measures that we really only have available in the hospital," Knettel explained.

For parents bringing kids to the playground, you should test the equipment before your child uses it.

"I think a lot of the playgrounds can get so hot that kids can really kind of hurt themselves. So it's worthwhile as parents to maybe just touch the structure before your kids start playing on it. Sometimes in the middle of the day, if it's been under direct sun for a lot of hours, it might just be a little too hot to touch," said Knettel.

At Gipson Play Plaza, tents are set up at the bottom of slides, covering portions that are exposed to sunlight.

Prior to heading out, it's important to wear sunscreen - which should be reapplied throughout the day - loose fitting clothing, hats, and sunglasses.

Knettel warned against leaving children unattended in a car for any period of time.

"It gets extremely hot very quickly," said Knettel.

WakeMed reports they have treated 22 patients between June 1st and June 17th for heat-related illness, up from 18 over the same time period last year. A spokesperson said between June 18th and June 30th last year, they treated 43 patients.

Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke

A spokesperson for Duke Health shared they saw a big increase in patients last July, and have not seen a significant uptick thus far in June.

Cooling stations are open across Wake County.

Other safety tips

Monitor high-risk loved ones

Anyone can suffer from heat-related illness at any time, but these people are at greater risk:

• Babies and young children

• Overweight people

• People who overexert during work or exercise

• Those who suffer from heart disease or high blood pressure and those who take certain medications, including for depression, insomnia or poor circulation

Symptoms of heat stroke

• Body temperature of 103 degrees or higher

• Hot, red, dry or damp skin

• Fast, strong pulse

• Headache

• Dizziness

• Nausea

• Confusion

• Passing out

• No longer sweating

Symptoms of heat exhaustion

• Heavy sweating

• Cold, pale, clammy skin

• Fast, weak pulse

• Nausea or vomiting

• Muscle cramps

• Feeling tired or weak

• Headache

• Passing out

Wear sunscreen

• Take precautions to prevent sunburn, which can make you dehydrated and affect your ability to cool down.

• Use sunscreen that's SPF 15 or higher 30 minutes before going outside. Sunscreens that say "broad spectrum" or "UVA/UVB protection" are best

Remember your furry friends

Here are some tips from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for how to keep your pets safe in the heat.

• Provide plenty of fresh water so they don't get dehydrated

• Don't over-exercise pets

• Never leave pets alone in a parked car

• Watch for symptoms of overheating, which include excessive panting, difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate and drooling.

• Animals with flat faces, like pugs, can't pant as well and are more at risk of heat stroke. These pets, as well as older and overweight pets, should be kept inside as much as possible.