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Summer Safety Tips for Fun in the Sun

St. Louis summers burn hot. Black Jack residents might seek to cool off at local pools, backyard sprinklers, or park splash pads. The extreme heat leads to dangerous health situations, especially for older adults or those without air conditioning. 


Thermometer in the sun

When enjoying the summer days outdoors, use caution and listen to your body’s cues that alert you that the heat is just too much. Use these summer safety tips to better understand conditions like heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and learn how to cool off safely on hot sunny summer days.


Table of Contents:

How to Stay Cool in Extreme Heat

What Are the Signs of Heat Exhaustion?

  • What Is the Difference Between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke?

  • What to Do if Someone Has a Heat Stroke?

The Importance of Sunscreen for Everyone

  • This Is the Product for the Best Sunburn Relief

  • Sunburn Blisters: Learn Why They Form

  • How Long Does Sunburn Last?

  • Slightly Pink vs. Red Lobster: The Sunburn Severity Chart


Key Takeaways:

While indoor, air-conditioned spaces offer the best cooling options in extreme heat, some residents opt to cool off in pools or sprinklers. Seek help immediately if a friend, neighbor, or family member shows symptoms of heat stroke.


How to Stay Cool in Extreme Heat

Not all households have access to air conditioning. Staying cool on extremely hot days is crucial to safety and physical well-being. Homes can reach extreme temperatures, putting residents at risk for heat exhaustion or heat stroke. 


Families playing in St. Louis City Garden Splash Area

While children may play in the sprinklers or swim at a local pool (or cool off in a backyard pool), indoor cooling ensures everyone stays comfortable day and night. For residents without air conditioning, Missouri’s State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) recommends that residents stay cool by using fans or opening windows (to circulate air), installing window air conditioning units, using heat reflective materials on windows, moving the family to the lower floor (like a basement), dress in light clothing, and stay hydrated.


If residents discover that seniors or individuals with disabilities do not have access to air conditioning, they can reach out to Missouri’s toll-free abuse and neglect hotline at (800) 392-0210 to help their neighbors. 


What Are the Signs of Heat Exhaustion?

Extreme heat puts individuals at risk for overheating or heat exhaustion. This type of sickness is caused by the body suffering from hyperthermia–an elevated temperature. Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, a fast pulse, feeling dizzy or lightheaded, feeling nauseated, and a headache. 


The best treatment for heat exhaustion is to move someplace cool (preferably indoors), drink water, and rest. Avoid going out in the sun for the day and focus on feeling better.


What Is the Difference Between Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke?

If heat exhaustion is left untreated, it can progress to heat stroke. This is a medical emergency and is characterized by a severely elevated body temperature. Individuals may sweat excessively, lose consciousness, become confused, and have an elevated pulse and heart rate. 

Photo of a man wiping sweat off his face with a towel

What to Do If Someone Has a Heat Stroke

When heat stroke is suspected, take action immediately. Dial 911 and take the individual to a cooler location; use cool towels or ice to lower their body temperature quickly. 


The Importance of Sunscreen for Everyone

UVA and UVB rays contribute to skin cancer, so sunscreen provides crucial protection during hot and extremely sunny summer days. However, burns and skin damage also occur when the sun isn’t shining bright. While fair-skinned, light-haired (and light-eyed) individuals have a high risk of skin cancer, sunburn, and related skin damage, the sun’s rays cause damage to all skin types. 


Dermatologists recommend that everyone use a broad-spectrum sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays and offers an SPF level of 30 or higher


This Is the Product for the Best Sunburn Relief

When the skin burns from the sun exposure, the red or pink areas may be painful and itchy. What is the best relief for a sunburn? Yale Medicine explains that aloe or soy products offer the best relief from a burn. Ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) helps with the pain. 


Other effective remedies for soothing a sunburn include milk and colloidal oatmeal. The lactic acid in milk helps reduce inflamed skin, and colloidal oatmeal relieves the itching. Try soaking in a cool bath of oatmeal to calm the skin!


Sunburn Blisters: Learn Why They Form

Second-degree sunburns often form blisters. These fluid-filled wounds are a sign that the skin is trying to heal. Never pop a sunburn blister. After the blistered areas heal, the skin may peel. Again, this is another step in the healing process. Be sure to keep the skin moisturized. 


How Long Does Sunburn Last?

Depending on the severity of a sunburn, it could last for a few days or longer. For second-degree sunburns that blister, healing may take longer. It’s important to stay out of the sun as skin heals. 



Photo of a woman putting a cool compress on her sunburn

Slightly Pink vs. Red Lobster: The Sunburn Severity Chart

Sunburns are skin burns, and they are not different from the types of burns any heat source inflicts upon the skin. The sun’s extreme heat damages skin and leads to varying burn severity. Use this chart to understand sunburn severity better:


Skin Appearance 

Severity Level

Treatment Options

Pale pink

☀️

Use aloe lotion to soothe a slight burn

Dark pink

☀️☀️

Aloe soothes the pain or heat of the burn, while colloidal oatmeal takes away the itching.

Red

☀️☀️☀️

A lobster red hue requires more soothing aloe, oatmeal, and perhaps pain reliever. Stay out of the sun.

Red with blisters

☀️☀️☀️☀️

Treat a very severe burn with the same soothing remedies as a severe burn. Stay out of the sun, and do not pop the blisters!

 

Keep Your Cool and Stay Safe


Woman drinking a bottle of water in the sun

Black Jack Fire Protection District wants residents to exercise caution when the temperature soars. Stay indoors, but when venturing outside to cool off in pools or sprinklers, remember to use sunscreen and be aware of signs of heat exhaustion. Most importantly, stay hydrated and always check up on elderly or disabled neighbors.


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