Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms in the stomach, arms or legs. If you feel any of these things, go to a cooler location, remove excess clothing, take sips of cool sports drinks with salt and sugar. If cramps last more than an hour, seek medical help. Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, tiredness, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea or vomiting, or fainting. To treat heat exhaustion, go to an air-conditioned place and lie down, loosen or remove clothing and try taking a cool bath. Take sips of cool sports drinks to stay hydrated. If symptoms increase, get worse or last more than an hour, seek medical help. The most serious heat related illness is heat stroke. Signs of heat stroke include an extremely high body temperature (above 103), red, hot and dry skin with no sweat; rapid, strong pulse; dizziness; confusion; or unconsciousness. Call 911 or get the person to a hospital immediately. Cool down with whatever methods are available until medical help arrives.
The City of Fountain Valley has three cooling centers:
Founders Village Senior Center, 17967 Bushard Street
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Mile Square Park Community Center, 16801 Euclid Street
Daily 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.
Fountain Valley Library, 17635 Los Alamos Street
Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday – Saturday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Lastly, NEVER leave children, pets or elderly people in unattended vehicles. Within 10 minutes, the interior of a vehicle can increase by 20 degrees and cracking the window doesn’t help. That means if it is 85 degrees outside, within 10 minutes, it’s 105 degrees inside the vehicle. Children and animals are more at risk in hotter environments as it takes far less to bring up their core temperatures so the heat effects them quicker.
Click here for more information on how to prepare and survive extreme heat days.