By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
With highs expected in the upper 90's today, avoiding heat exhaustion and dehydration should be top of mind.
St. Joseph Health Educator Jada Johnson advises to watch signs of dehydration as you are out playing or working in this heat.
"Definitely heavy sweating, like profusely sweating and not on a normal level, if they're going through clothes, a lot of sweating," Johnson tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post. "Rapid heartbeat, if they're feeling faint like they're going to pass out, dizziness, severe fatigue, if they have intense muscle cramps that kind of come out of nowhere, nausea and even vomiting, and then headache."
Johnson says the even more extreme signs to look out for include losing consciousness, becoming confused, and overheating the body to above 104 degrees.
Johnson says you should stay properly hydrated while out playing or working in the heat this summer.
Johnson says the best way to stay hydrated is drinking water rather than sports drinks.
"Sometimes those have a lot of sugar, so just opting for plain water and maybe infusing your water with fresh fruits like lemon, berries, or even mint leaves can make drinking water a lot easier," Johnson explains. "But water is just really key for optimal hydration."
For children and teens, that could be easier said than done. Johnson says youth tend to go for sugary drinks over water while out in the heat
"Get them maybe a fun water bottle to drink out of and add the fruits in there to make it taste better so they're more willing to drink it," Johnson says. "If they do opt for pop and stuff maybe tell them to level it out with a glass of water."
Johnson says children can also stay hydrated by eating more fruits and vegetables.
"Fruits are really good during the summer so strawberries, peaches, cucumbers, celery, all of those fruits and veggies have a lot of those hydrating qualities to them as well," Johnson points out.
Johnson says for adults it's also best to not drink alcohol to avoid dehydration.
Temperatures are expected to drop below 90 through the weekend, with the chances of rain and thunderstorms, but will be back up to a high of 92 on Monday.