USE CAUTION WITH FANS

DEXTER -- Fans might not be as effective at fighting the heat as you think. In fact, officials at the Stoddard County Health Center say fans may do more harm than good.

Debbie Pleimling, health center director, said fans can make the heat situation worse when temperatures reach around 100 degrees or higher.

The fan may deliver overheated air to the skin faster than the body can get rid of the heat. Pleimling said the fan actually adds heat rather than cool the body.

She said fans can draw air in at night and are less expensive to operate than air conditioners, but are not effective in high temperatures.

The skin must be moist for a fan to be effective. When it is moist, moving air removes the heat from the skin as the moisture evaporates.

The skin can be moisturized with sweat, a dampened cloth or rubbing wet cloths over the surface of the skin.

Pleimling said when individuals develop a heat stroke, they stop sweating. She said the elderly also have trouble sweating because they may have poor heat regulation.

Pleimling added that to avoid heat stroke the best place to be is in an air-conditioned building.

She said to also use a wet wash cloth to rub on the skin and take cool baths, which should keep body temperatures low.

"I don't believe fans work," she said. "The best thing to do is use a cool cloth around your neck and stay in the air conditioning."

The Missouri Department of Health recommends preventing heat-related illness by:

-- Being aware of the warning signs such as light-headedness, mild nausea, confusion, sleepiness or profuse sweating.

-- Resting frequently while outdoors in a shady area so that the body has a chance to recover from the heat.

-- Scheduling outdoor activities before noon or in the evening.

-- Take outdoor working or exercising slowly and limit the time spent outdoors.

-- Increase fluid intake regardless of the activity level. Do not wait until you are thirsty to drink fluids.

-- Avoid caffeine, alcohol or large amounts of sugar because they cause you to lose fluids. Also avoid extremely cold beverages because they can cause stomach cramps.

The department puts out a hot weather health warning when the afternoon heat index stays at 105 degrees or higher for two consecutive days.

It declares a hot weather health emergency when the index stays at 105 degrees or higher for three consecutive days.

Also to be an emergency, the surveillance data must demonstrate increased levels of heat-caused morbitity or mortality statewide.

Last year 12 Missourians died because of heat-related causes and 470 reported heat-related illness.