The county public health officer gave the warning on Wednesday and Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital leadership echoes the danger of heat related illness during the current and future heat waves. Hospital CEO Dr. Scott Neeley says that heat related issues are the result of the body’s chemistry getting out of whack leading to the inability to keep vital organs cool. Heat exhaustion is the early stage, but it can quickly progress to a life- threatening situation

Dr. Neeley shares that if a person begins to feel badly while working or playing outdoors, to get out of the sun and take some other precautions.

In most instances a person can begin to recover without seeking additional medical attention, but if symptoms do not go away, it is important to get medical assistance with cooling the body through external methods as well as with cooler solutions administered directly into the bloodstream.
Dr. Neeley says the elderly and the youngest children are most at risk, but anyone can succumb to too much heat.