SIZZLE: SUMMER IS HEATING UP WITH DANGER

As temperatures remain in the 90s during the next several days, the number of heat-related illnesses in the area is expected to rise.

Figures released by the Missouri Department of Health show that heat can cause far more than discomfort. Between 1980 and 1989, 489 Missourians died due to excessive exposure to heat. Missouri residents also accounted for more than 17 percent of the nation's 1,716 heat-related deaths during a major heat wave in 1980.

The number of illnesses due to high temperatures doubled in the past two years, up from 226 in 1989 to 512 in 1990.

While local hospitals have not been plagued with a high number of such illnesses so far this summer, Pat Pennington, nurse manager of emergency services at Southeast Missouri Hospital, said heat cases become more of a problem when temperatures are in the 90s and there is high humidity.

Such sizzling summer weather is forecast for this area for the immediate future.

Michelle Mainelli of the National Weather Service in St. Louis said the temperatures will remain "much above normal" through July 4, after which a 55 percent chance of above-average temperatures will exist. The normal high temperature for this time of year is 88 degrees.

Mainelli said a heat warning was announced Tuesday by the St. Louis Department of Health and Hospitals. Heat warnings are issued when the heat index, which is calculated using temperature and humidity scales, reaches or is predicted to reach 105 degrees. Heat warnings urge personal caution and concern for others at high risk of falling victim to illnesses caused by overexposure to heat.

The most frequent heat-related illness is heat exhaustion. This condition, caused by a severe depletion of the sodium level in one's body, is characterized by profuse sweating, nausea and weakness.

Heat exhaustion usually occurs as a result of working or playing in the heat, Pennington said. The victim should be placed in cool shade or air conditioning and given fluids, which will replace body salt.

In addition, Linda Brown, director of emergency and trauma services at Saint Francis Medical Center, recommends laying the victim down while keeping his or her lower body elevated. Victims who experience fainting or cannot keep liquids down should seek medical attention.

When temperatures are up, Pennington said, she sees cases of heat exhaustion almost daily.

Another heat-related illness which is seen often during the summer is heat cramps. Heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms that usually strike those involved in heavy physical activity on hot days. The cramps first appear in the legs and abdomen.

Heat cramps can be alleviated by massaging cramped muscles and sipping cool liquids. Victims may feel tired after the symptoms subside, Brown said, but they do not face health risks.

Less common, but far more serious, is heat stroke. This condition is caused by a malfunction of the body's heat regulating system, resulting in failure of the body to release heat through sweating. The victim's body temperature may become as high as 106 to 107 degrees, the pulse rate speeds up and the skin becomes red, hot and dry.

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition, Pennington said, and it should be taken very seriously. Ten to eleven cases of heat stroke were diagnosed in Cape Girardeau last summer.

"They don't even have to be in the sun," Pennington said of heat stroke sufferers. "The cases I've seen were usually children who were left in the back seat of unventilated cars."

Heat stroke victims who are not given immediate medical attention will likely suffer permanent brain damage or death. Brown said people who are overweight, drink alcohol heavily or are chronic invalids are most at risk of this condition.

Despite the fact that heat-related illnesses have become more numerous each year, the number of heat-related deaths has actually declined slightly over the past two years.

Ten heat-related deaths were reported in Missouri in 1989, according to the Missouri Department of Health, while nine such cases occurred in 1990.

"There's a lot of information available about the health risks of heat exposure," said Brown. "I think people are paying a little more attention now."

While the danger of heat-related deaths and illnesses should not be taken lightly, avoiding these risks can be fairly simple.

Brown recommends wearing light-colored, loose-fitting cotton clothing when going outside and avoiding alcohol consumption. While the body sodium level must be maintained, Brown discourages the use of salt tablets.

Pennington said, "Common sense is probably the best prevention. Be outside in the heat as little as necessary, take rest breaks and drink fluids.

"When you get hot, get inside and cool off. You should also try to assist others who aren't always able to care for themselves."

The young and the elderly should receive special attention, Pennington said. People should provide adequate cooling systems in the homes of their elderly relatives, she said, and neither children nor pets should be left inside closed cars in the heat.