Last week, Robin Starr, the CEO of the Richmond, Virginia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), accidentally left her 16-year-old blind and deaf dog in her sweltering car for four hours when she headed in to work.

She claims she didn’t realize that Louie, who often went with her to work, was in the car with her since her husband had put the dog in that morning while Starr was getting ready for work. However, she says her husband had forgotten to tell her he had done so.
Louie, who was suffering from heat stroke, was initially treated …read more

We’ve heard sad stories of high school football players being overcome by heat illnesses during particularly hot days, but it’s important to understand that all athletes who participate in sports in the fall are at risk as well. These include tennis players and even wrestlers. We also can’t forget about the other students who spend time outside, such as those in the marching band. This is physically strenuous and out in the heat as well.
The only way to ensure the health and safety of fall athletes is through education of the coaches, the parents, and the athletes themselves. While the …read more

The other day, I wrote a post on heat-related illnesses, from muscle cramping to the very serious heat stroke (Heat Waves – What’s the Big Deal? ). Today I found an article from a blog in Iowa that does a great job of describing how heat temperatures (including humidity) are calculated and why it feels hotter sometimes than others, even if the temperature is the same: Heat Index – Why It Feels So Hot.

Knowing how and why something works often makes it easier for us to help ourselves, because then we understand why certain things work better than others.
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Image: …read more

Yesterday, June 21, was the longest day of the year in North America and along with the longer sunlight hours comes hot summer weather. And, along with hot summer weather comes the risk of heat stroke, a frequently fatal and often preventable result of intense heat. Up to 40% of people who develop heat stroke die.
What is a heat wave? Heat waves are called when (usually) you have temperatures above a certain level for a  prolonged period of time but there doesn’t seem to be an agreed-upon definition. In Canada, for example, a heat wave is called when air temperatures …read more

Summer is a wonderful time to play outdoor sports, but it’s also a vulnerable season for heat-related injuries in young athletes. Children are more prone to illnesses resulting from activity in high temperature for several reasons. They do not sweat as well as adults do, and the ability of the body to transfer heat from the blood to the skin is lowered in the athletic child. The three most common types of “heat injuries” are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Here are some common sense rules for avoiding heat injuries in your exercising children:
1. Get children to drink plenty …read more