Beat the Heat!

Learn more and find resources about how you can tackle heat related health problems in Arizona this summer!

CDC's Heat Related Illness

Open URL

CDC's Heat Illness page for quick facts and solutions

HeatRisk Forecast Tool

Open URL

The HeatRisk Forecast Tool, developed by CDC and NOAA, provides a seven-day national-scale heat forecast that tells you when temperatures reach levels that could harm health.

CDC Heat & Health Tracker

Open URL

Heat poses significant and increasing risks to public health across the United States. Use this dashboard to explore your community’s heat exposure, related health outcomes, and assets that can protect people during heat events.

CDC Clinical Guidance for Healthcare Professionals

Open URL

CDC clinical guidance will enable clinicians and their patients to create personalized plans that will help ensure we can continue to safely enjoy warmer months. Even though heat can impact anyone's physical and mental health, many groups may be particularly sensitive to heat and CDC's guidance has focused initially on children with asthma, pregnant women, and people with cardiovascular disease.

"Arizona is one of the hottest places on earth from May to September. Heat-related illnesses are common during the summer. Year after year, nearly 3,000 people visit Arizona emergency rooms because of heat-related illnesses."

"Arizona is experiencing increasingly longer periods of extreme heat, causing more Arizonans to experience heat-related illness, emergency room visits, and death. Taking proactive measures to mitigate the challenges posed by rising temperatures is essential in protecting the health of Arizonans."

-ADHS

Heat Exhaustion

Heavy sweating
Cold, pale, and clammy skin
Fast, weak pulse
Nausea or vomiting
Muscle cramps
Tiredness or weakness
Dizziness
Headache
Fainting (passing out)

Move to a cool place
Loosen your clothes
Sip water
Cool the person with whatever means available: put them in a cool tub of water or shower, spray with a garden hose, ice packs or cold wet towels, etc.

Get medical help right away if:

You are throwing up
Your symptoms get worse
Your symptoms last longer than 1 hour

Sunburn

Painful, red, and warm skin
Blisters on the skin

Stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals
Put cool cloths on sunburned areas or take a cool bath
Put moisturizing lotion on sunburned areas, Do not break blisters

Heat Stroke

High body temperature (103°F or higher)
Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
Fast, strong pulse
Headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Losing consciousness (passing out)

If you think a person may be experiencing heatstroke, seek immediate medical help by calling 911. Take immediate action to cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency treatment.

Heatstroke can lead to death or brain damage if not treated right away.

Get the person into shade or indoors.
Remove excess clothing.
Cool the person with whatever means available: put them in a cool tub of water or a cool shower, spray with a garden hose, sponge with cool water, fan while misting with cool water, or place ice packs or cold, wet towels on the person's head, neck, armpits, and groin.

Outdoor Activity

Plan Ahead!

Check the weather forecast, sign up for heat alerts, and plan heat-safe activities when it's hot outside.

Pace yourself, schedule breaks from outside activities, and seek out shade.
Young people are more at-risk than adults for heat-related illness because they are more likely to over-exert themselves outdoors without adequate hydration.
- Schools and organizations that run outdoor activities can help young people avoid serious health-risks related to heat.
Learn the signs of heat illness. If you think someone has a heat stroke, seek medical attention immediately and begin cooling that person.

High Risk Persons

Although anyone can suffer from heat-related illness, some people are at greater risk than others:

Infants and young children
People who are pregnant
People 65 years of age or older
People who are overweight
People who overexert during work or exercise
People who are physically ill, especially with heart disease or high blood pressure, or who take certain medications, such as for depression, insomnia, or poor circulation

Visit adults who are considered at risk at least twice a day and closely watch them for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Stay Cool, and Drink Up

Stay cool to avoid heat-related illness.

Stay indoors during the hottest times of the day.
- Avoid outdoor activities or strategize them according to the morning and evening hours.
Wear loose light-colored clothing, and use a shade or hat to block the sun.
Wear sunscreen with a minimum SPF of 15 and re-apply according to directions.
Electric fans will not prevent heat-related illness when temperatures are high. Air conditioning is the strongest protective factor against heat-related illness. Exposure to air conditioning for even a few hours a day will reduce the risk for heat-related illness.
- Consider visiting a cooling center, shopping mall, or public library for a few hours.
Never leave adults, children, and pets inside a parked vehicle.

Drink a lot of fluid to replace what you lose through sweat, which is your body's way of cooling itself.

Drink more water than usual, regardless of activity level.
- Drink before you're thirsty!
Avoid alcohol, caffeinated beverages, or liquids containing high amounts of sugar.
- These can cause you to lose more body fluid.
Keep your pets hydrated. Provide fresh water and leave it in a shady area.

ADHS Resources

Resources that are easy to read and share from the ADHS about health problems and solutions in our Arizona climate!

Heat Safety Home Page

Open URL

The home page and quick facts and for the Arizona summer about heat and heat related illness!

Heat Safety - School Toolkit

Open URL

The Heat Illness Prevention School Project (HIPSP) is a toolkit created by the Arizona Department of Health Services. The goal of the toolkit is to educate students, school staff, athletic coaches, and parents regarding heat-related illness and prevention. The Heat Illness Prevention School Project aims to reduce the number of heat-related illnesses in schools.