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Paramedic and Community Risk Reduction Officer Andy Marceau offers tips for Heatstroke Prevention Awareness Day

The weather is finally changing, which means spending more time outdoors. The state of Michigan designated April 22 Heatstroke Prevention Awareness day, and is encouraging Michiganders to take precautions in hot weather.

Paramedic and Risk Reduction Officer, Andy Marceau says one of the biggest causes for heatstroke…
being trapped in a hot car.

“Children have died in car with temperatures as low as 63 degrees. And basically the car becomes a greenhouse. So a car at 70 degrees on a sunny day in just a half hour can reach 104 degrees. So we hit 70 degrees quite often here in northern Michigan in the summer and in just a half hour, it could be at 104 and much higher than that as time goes on.”

Marceau says listening to your body is also a critical part of maintaining your health when participating in *outdoor physical activities.

“Any time when you know if you’re going to be participating in a sport or going to go out and start doing some activities, you need to plan ahead. Drink plenty of fluids before you go, but also know your limitations. Know how much you can take or how long before you need to take that break. There’s three heat emergencies. They start off with heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. The third one is the worst. You want to avoid that at all costs. So if you’re out working and you’re sweating, it’s good that you’re sweating, but you need to take breaks and replenish those fluids with water is the best way to replenish those fluids.

Symptoms of a heatstroke include difficulty breathing and blurred vision. The most obvious symptom: the body will stop sweating.

If your notice these symptoms, contact your doctor, or call 911.