Arkansas Department of Health Urges Caution in Extreme Heat

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Credit uark.edu

With temperatures nearing 100, state health officials say people need to be extremely cautious when outdoors. Too much exposure can cause heat exhaustion and heat strokes.

Doctor Gary Wheeler with the Arkansas Department of Health says it’s important to pay attention to early signs of dehydration.

 “Particularly people who are outside working, they'll start to get muscle cramps and that kind of thing. They're probably losing sweat, losing salt, and they should recognize that's a problem and not just keep working through it," says Wheeler.

Wheeler says if staying out of the sun is not an option, it’s important to stay hydrated and wear protective clothing like hats and visors. He says temperatures like this will become more prevalent in the future.

Wheeler said, "Clearly the climate change has ratcheted things up so we're having even more heat than maybe we were used to in the past. So we need to take it seriously, number one."

The National Weather Service is forecasting a high of 99 tomorrow (Thurs) with a heat index of 107.