Philadelphia heat: Tips to avoid heat-related illness as dangerous heat lingers

Tips to avoid heat stroke as dangerous heat lingers

The extended grip of the second heat wave to hit the Delaware Valley has health professionals concerned about the number of heat-related illnesses they are seeing and offer tips to avoid issues.

MEDIA, Pa. - It’s not simply a heat wave. Or just really hot. Doctors say it's dangerously hot in the Delaware Valley.

The sweltering heat had the usual crowds at Wednesday night's Dining Under the Stars in Media seeking shade wherever they could.

"It’s like you’re sitting in front of the sun in the bathtub of Satan," said one diner on State Street.

"It’s horrible," Brian Enslein, of Media, plainly stated.

With the temperature of 92 degrees and a heat index over 100, you could say tonight's dinner toast felt a bit "toasty"

"It reminds me of Florida weather. It’s sweating hot," said Julia Neff, of Springfield. Neff and her boyfriend decided to dine at a restaurant indoors with air conditioning. She doesn’t do well with extreme heat.

"I just figured out, recently, that I have, like, where heat gets retained and I have to be careful in high temperatures. So, I also wear super light stuff," she explained.

The higher temperatures are meaning more visits to emergency rooms. The CDC says Mid-Atlantic states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey, experienced some of the highest rates of heat-related illnesses during the last week of June.

"The longer the heat wave goes on, the more high temperature exposure the people get, that leads to more risk for all kinds of medical problems," said Dr. Mike Cirigliano, of the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Doctor Mike says heat stroke, which can be fatal, first starts as heat exhaustion and symptoms can creep up as the temperature rises.

"Heat exhaustion, generally, is where you really start to feel a little lightheaded, dizzy. Your temperature can go up to about 100° and that’s the time to get out of the sun," said Cirigliano.

Doctors say air conditioning, staying hydrated and wearing light colored clothing are the best ways to beat the heat. Or in the case of those in Media, just wait until the sun goes down and grab a cool treat at the most popular place on State Street, the ice cream shop.