It’s water bottle season.
The start of school sports means summer is fading, but the heat is not. The N.C. Division of Public Health is reminding parents, players and coaches to focus as much on safety as sportsmanship when exercising in hot and humid conditions. Everybody needs to be aware of precautions they can take to avoid heat-related illness.
We have created a page on our website to track heat-related visits to emergency departments around the state and to share safety tips. The latest tip sheet, “Heat Safety Tips for Athletes and Coaches,” has some helpful and practical ideas for athletes, parents and coaches, including a reminder of the early signs and symptoms of dehydration: dry or sticky mouth, thirst, headache, dizziness, cramps, and/or excessive fatigue.
Our website also includes heat safety tips for the workplace and for the general public. With proper precautions, heat-related illness, injury, and even death can be prevented.