FANS CAN BE MISLEADING

In an effort to save money, many people opt to use fans instead of air conditioners to cool off, which can lead to unexpected heat exhaustion, according to area health officials.

"Fans are great up to a point, but once the temperature gets so high, they're just moving warm air around," said Charlotte Craig, administrator at the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Department.

As air temperatures rise beyond about the 100-degree point (depending on humidity), fans start putting out overheated air to the skin at a rate that exceeds the body's ability to get rid of the heat.

In other words, in temperatures such as the ones Cape Girardeau has experienced this week, fans add heat rather than cool the body.

"Fans give you a false sense of security," Craig said. "Particularly if you have older parents, you need to be aware that just because they have fans in the home, after a certain point, it doesn't help."

An air conditioner, if one is available, or going to a building that is air conditioned, is a better alternative, she said.