With Kentucky in the midst of a heat wave, experts say heat-related illnesses are under-reported and sometimes life-threatening. David Fifer is an associate professor of emergency medical care and director of Eastern Kentucky Universities Center for Wilderness and Outdoor Public Safety. He said most people have experienced symptoms on the lesser end of the spectrum.
“They're feeling just really, really hot, maybe even a little light-headed, a little weak, a little fatigued, very thirsty. And most people know what to do in those kinds of situations, stop exerting yourself. Try to find some shade, try to find a source of some cool air.”
Fifer said drinking fluids, especially those with electrolytes, is key. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, extreme heat kills about 12-hundred people every year. Fifer said people experiencing heat stroke usually keep sweating and show signs of altered mental status.
“Maybe they are losing consciousness, maybe they are slurring their speech. Maybe there's even changes in their demeanor and personality, and they're becoming very agitated, and it seems like there's really change in sort of like personality.”
Fifer said at that stage, the victim or witnesses need to call 9-1-1. He said the gold standard of treatment for heat stroke is immersing the patient in ice water.
