High Temperatures Serve As Reminder To Stay Hydrated

With temperatures in the mid-90s continuing, staying hydrated is the most important thing you can do to prevent overheating.

That’s according to Jackson County EMS Public Information Officer Derek Woolbright. He said it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day, and less soft drinks and alcohol.

“We have so much water in our county, so many areas of recreation where people are out and about,” Woolbright said. “And people a lot of times when they’re used to it being cooler they just don’t plan ahead, think to hydrate themselves, that kind of thing, which leads us to dealing with things like heat exhaustion, heat stroke, things of that nature.”

Woolbright said if you are beginning to overheat, simply going inside or getting out of the sun could prevent it from becoming an emergency. He said Jackson County EMS has already treated 830 cases of heat-related illness this year.

Woolbright said one thing that may surprise people is how much humidity can actually affect you. He said while there may be a temperature of 90 degrees outside, an 80 percent humidity rate can make it feel like 105 degrees.

“It’s really important for people to think moderation,” Woolbright said. “Whether its their amount of time outside, moderation in the alcohol they’re consuming, or moderation in taking water breaks when they’re outside working.”