Hot Days
at the Park
Nothing can
ruin a vacation or day of fun faster than Heat Stress. I know this from
personal experience. Last Sunday I was at Disneyland and suffered from Heat
Stress. So how do you avoid it when you are at Disneyland during the summer
when the temperature hits 90° to 100° or even hotter?
The first and
most obvious is thing to do is hydrate. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids.
Water is obviously best but if you have children that are feeling the effects
of the heat anything will do, juice, watered-down juice or lemonade will do
just fine. Even getting a frozen lemonade is a good idea.
Don’t overdo it!
Slow down! Yes it’s a shame you don’t get to go on all your favorite rides, but
better you miss a few rides than suffer the consequences of overdoing it in the
heat.
Many people worry about their
salt intake, with good reason. But when you’re sweating in the heat your body
needs a little more salt, so go ahead and have some popcorn or a salted pretzel.
Unless you have a major medical problem that limits your salt intake a little
extra salt is a good idea.
Go ahead and get wet! Getting
what is a great way to cool off! Go ride a ride that gets you soaked or at
least a little wet! Pirates of the Caribbean is a great ride for getting a
little wet and you get to be in a cool environment for short time. Splash
Mountain and grizzly River run will get you good and wet. David Crockett’s Canoes
will get you a little wet, depending on your fellow riders. There are also
several water fountains/water play areas at the two parks where you can get
wet. Another good thing to do is take a hat you don’t mind getting wet. If you’re
feeling a little overheated go to any counter service restaurant and asked for
a glass of ice water. Drink some of the ice water and pour some in your hat! You
can also get it wet at any water fountains/water play area or at any bathroom
sink or drinking fountain.
I’ve mentioned getting your hat
wet but you should also keep in on to give a little shade to your face and
head. Consider bringing a small umbrella to give yourself portable shade. This
can be invaluable while sitting waiting for or watching a show or parade. Small
battery-powered fans and water misters can also be a lifesaver and don’t cost
much.
If you feel you’re getting
overheated STOP!!!! Stop what you’re doing and head to First Aid. They will be
happy to give you an ice pack or frozen towel to put on your neck to cool down.
This is also a good Cool Zone to go sit or lay down for a while out of the
heat. Let the professionals assess how overheated you are.
During the heat of the day
schedule things like indoor dining at a restaurant that has air conditioning,
and seeing indoor shows or riding the longer indoor rides such as Pirates of
the Caribbean or It’s a Small World. The Aladdin show or any other shaded/indoor
show area is a good idea.
If you’re staying at a Disneyland
Resort Hotel or a local Good Neighbor hotel consider going back to the hotel
where a swim and/or nap during the heat of the day.
Be mindful of the young and
elderly in your group because they often do not realize the effect the heat is
having on them and will put themselves inadvertently in danger. If you notice they
are slowing down, speech is slurred, they are sweating profusely, or just can’t
stay focused on what you’re saying take them directly to first aid. It is
better to spend an hour cooling-off in first day then days out of your vacation
in the hospital.
Here is a list of the different
types of Heat Stress with symptoms and treatment. Adapted from the CDC.gov
website.
Types of
Heat Stress
Symptoms
and Treatment
Heat
stroke is the most serious heat-related disorder. It occurs when the body
becomes unable to control its temperature: the body's temperature rises
rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When
heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or
higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause death or permanent
disability if emergency treatment is not given.
Symptoms
Symptoms
of heat stroke include:
·
Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
·
Hallucinations
·
Chills
·
Throbbing headache
·
High body temperature
·
Confusion/dizziness
·
Slurred speech
First Aid
Take the
following steps to treat a person with heat stroke:
·
Call 911 and notify their supervisor. Contact any Cast Member and
ask for First Aid.
·
Move the sick person to a cool shaded area.
·
Cool the person using methods such as:
o Soaking
their clothes with water.
o Spraying,
sponging, or showering them with water.
o Fanning
their body.
Heat
exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of the water and salt,
usually through excessive sweating. Workers most prone to heat exhaustion are
those that are elderly, have high blood pressure, and those working in a hot
environment.
Symptoms
Symptoms
of heat exhaustion include:
·
Heavy sweating
·
Extreme weakness or fatigue
·
Dizziness, confusion
·
Nausea
·
Clammy, moist skin
·
Pale or flushed complexion
·
Muscle cramps
·
Slightly elevated body temperature
·
Fast and shallow breathing
First Aid
Treat a person
suffering from heat exhaustion with the following:
·
Have them rest in a cool, shaded or air-conditioned area.
·
Have them drink plenty of water or other cool, nonalcoholic
beverages.
·
Have them take a cool shower, bath, or sponge bath.
Heat
syncope is a fainting (syncope) episode or dizziness that usually occurs with
prolonged standing or sudden rising from a sitting or lying position. Factors
that may contribute to heat syncope include dehydration and lack of
acclimatization.
Symptoms
Symptoms
of heat syncope include:
·
Light-headedness
·
Dizziness
·
Fainting
First Aid
Persons
with heat syncope should:
·
Sit or lie down in a cool place when they begin to feel symptoms.
·
Slowly drink water, clear juice, or a sports beverage.
Heat
cramps usually affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity. This
sweating depletes the body's salt and moisture levels. Low salt levels in
muscles causes painful cramps. Heat cramps may also be a symptom of heat
exhaustion.
Symptoms
Muscle
pain or spasms usually in the abdomen, arms, or legs.
First Aid
Workers
with heat cramps should:
·
Stop all activity, and sit in a cool place.
·
Drink clear juice or a sports beverage.
·
Do not return to strenuous activity for a few hours after the
cramps subside because further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion or heat
stroke.
·
Seek medical attention if any of the following apply:
o The person
has heart problems.
o The person
is on a low-sodium diet.
o The
cramps do not subside within one hour.
Heat rash
is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather.
(This can happen when you are trying to keep wet to stay cool. I think it is more
likely to happen at WDW than DLR.)
Symptoms
Symptoms
of heat rash include:
·
Heat rash looks like a red cluster of pimples or small blisters.
·
It is more likely to occur on the neck and upper chest, in the groin,
under the breasts, and in elbow creases.
First Aid
People
experiencing heat rash should:
·
Try to stay in a cool, less humid environment when possible. Make
sure affected areas are kept dry while getting wet to cool off.
·
Keep the affected area dry.
·
Dusting powder may be used to increase comfort.
Now
I’ve given you the information about Heat Stress and the ideas for surviving heat
in the park I want to encourage you to remember this information for anywhere
you are when it gets hot! Know the symptoms of Heat Stress and how to avoid and
treat it.
If
you start to think you are getting overheated find a way to cool off. If you
can’t cool your home or location where you are at most cities set up Cooling
Centers/Cool Zones for people to cool off during the heat of the day. Some will
be at Civic Centers or schools. Other ideas for places to go to cool off
include libraries, malls or even movie theaters.
Encourage
the elderly and kids to learn the symptoms and treatment of Heat Stress. This
could save their lives and maybe even yours if you ignore the effects of the
heat some day. Watch out for each other! As I’ve said before the young and
elderly often do not “feel” the effects of the heat until it is too late. A
young child will play outside in the heat until they drop because they just don’t
realize what is happening and don’t want to stop having fun. The elderly may
not think to turn on the A/C or move indoors when it is hot. They don’t realize
until it is too late that they are over heated.
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