Staying safe as temperatures rise

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - With temperatures expected to hit the 90s across Central Illinois this week, doctors are reminding everyone to stay aware and safe when spending time outside.

Dr. Naeem Jatoi with HSHS says our bodies are not as prepared for heat when the summer is just starting.

"In the early parts of summertime people are not as conditioned, they're just coming out of kind of hibernation and not as active," said Dr. Jatoi. "When they just go and run five miles without really preparing for it, that can be a problem."

The health risks don't just apply to doing exercise or hard labor in the sunshine. Simply being outside for a long period of time when heat and humidity is high can be problem.

"Always keep an eye on humidity, with high humidity you don't even need very high temperatures," said Dr. Jatoi. "All the moisture in the air, it doesn't let you sweat as much, so your body's not able to dissipate all that heat."

If you need somewhere to go to get out of the heat, most communities have cooling centers, where you can sit in an air-conditioned area. In Decatur, the Library, Civic Center, Transportation Hub, and the Department of Human Services are all open to the public.

"They're just a place that people can come and hang out cool off... standing outside for too long is obviously a concern, the shade can only do so much," said Ryan Huffer, Communications Coordinator, with the City of Decatur. "We obviously have these facilities open for people to come and relax and cool down and definitely during business hours come and spend as much time as you need and make sure that you are out of the sun."

Common symptoms of heat exhaustion are: