That demands serious attention at the local, state and federal level. As global temperatures inch upwards, more people will. Risks also vary by location, with residents in densely populated urban areas suffering more than those in the suburbs and low-income people endangered because they can’t afford high electric bills.īut anyone can succumb to heat-related illness. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can be particularly dangerous for young children and the elderly, as well as people who are pregnant, people with chronic diseases such as diabetes, people whose jobs keep them outdoors without ready access to shade or water, and athletes whose intense activity can push their temperature into the danger zone far more quickly. The ranks of people at risk of heat-related health problems are wide and variable. Your chances of recovery without medical intervention - by getting someplace cooler, by drinking water - start to dwindle. When your internal temperature crosses a critical threshold of 104 degrees, you’re in trouble. Yet local, state and national officials haven’t done nearly enough to combat the threat heat poses, and many Floridians will pay for that with their lives. As global temperatures inch upward, Florida is obviously on the vanguard of a rising threat to life and health. They are warnings that many don’t take seriously, and we’re not just talking about individuals. This is how the first signs of heat exhaustion feel - physical reactions that an increasing number of people experience every day. Another self-regulating system kicks in, and your breathing and pulse grow more rapid as your organs fight to lower your core temperature. But a number of factors, including dehydration or tight-fitting, non-breathable clothing that traps sweat instead of letting it evaporate or intense physical activity that raises your core temperature faster than you can cool down, will defeat that defense. It’s the body’s first line of defense: Sweat, as it evaporates, can keep your body a critical degree or two cooler than the air around you.
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