Chippewa Valley (WQOW) - Seven
is no lucky number today. We've been in
the 90's for seven days in a row. Thursday,
six people were treated at the two Eau
Claire hospitals for heat related illnesses. That makes 23 so far this week in Eau Claire.
On hot days like this, staying inside
may be the best option, but for some, that's not an option.
"It's like, really
hot," says roofer Shane Duffield, with Yakesh Roofing. "We usually take it kind of slow, we
just keep going, and either we keep going or if we take breaks, then we'll just
be here longer."
And on the roof, it can get even
hotter.
"Especially when
you're laying down the black paper that we've got to lay down before we lay
down the shingles," Duffield says.
Staying hydrated is key.
"We just had a
little break, we bring a lot of water and Gatorade everyday, and a huge cooler
of water, otherwise we'd probably get dehydrated," says Duffield.
Paramedics say that's the best thing
you can do in this heat.
"3-4 liters is
probably what a person should drink throughout the day," says Chippewa Falls
Fire Department Paramedic Justus Busse. "Avoid pop or caffeine, that kind of dehydrates you
more, but water's the main thing."
And in this heat, sweat, is actually
a good thing.
"As long as you're
sweating, you're doing good with your hydration, if you stop sweating, that's
when you start to have issues, or muscle cramps is a very big sign," Busse
says.
Those are the beginning stages of
heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
"What we would do
is get them into a cool environment, get them some fluids, try to get their
fluids back up, water, maybe start an IV if need be, basically just try to keep
them coo," says Busse.
The
elderly, the young, and those with previous health conditions are the most at
risk in this kind of heat
