Nick McWilliams reporting – With the first of summer arriving with the solstice, hotter temperatures are well on their way.
June 21st is the summer solstice, with average temperatures rising up to 84 degrees Fahrenheit. Last year in Cleveland, the temperature on the first day of summer was 95 degrees, 14 degrees higher than the normal temp.
Chris Valletta, a former NFL player who co-founded Mission Apparel, a breathable fabric manufacturer with athletes like Serena Williams and Drew Brees, says that heat can be a silent killer.
“It doesn’t care who you are, where you live, how old you are, what color you are. The heat is agnostic, and the heat is a major threat. It’s the number one, weather-related killer in the United States. More than tornadoes and hurricanes combined. And it costs the U.S. economy over $100 billion a year in losses.”
Heat-related deaths recorded in 2018 crossed over 1,000, a number that jumped to nearly 1,600 in 2021. Around a quarter of all heat-related deaths came with an interaction with cardiovascular disease, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
Valletta says that athletes prepare for intense conditions with heat, but common jobs often interact with extreme temperatures, which leads to the need of taking into consideration signs of something being wrong.
“You’ve got to listen to yourself and take ownership of your own health and safety by being aware of how the heat impacts you. Are you getting lightheaded? Are you excessively thirsty? Are you feeling like you’re rundown or slower or you can’t think as clearly? All of those minor things can turn into major things.”
Steps to prevent heat-related illness or death include proper hydration, wearing fabrics that are breathable and help with evaporating sweat, and avoid direct sunlight when participating in laborious activity.
For more on how the heat affects human bodies, visit www.cdc.gov.
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