MOULTRIE — Excessive heat likely played a part in the death of an elderly Doerun man whose body was found Saturday.
Although the area is expected to get a slight break in temperatures in coming days, health officials warn that people should take precautions to avoid heat-related illness.
The 87-year-old man, who was found by a relative in his small mobile home Saturday, apparently died Friday evening, Colquitt County Coroner Verlyn Brock said. The metal building appeared to have had insufficient cooling and was excessively hot while emergency workers were inside, he said.
“I believe it was probably hyperthermia that brought it on,” Brock said. “I can’t say that was a confirmed heat-related death, but that’s my opinion. In that little trailer, I bet the heat index got well over 100 (degrees).”
If the death was caused by the excessive heat it would be the first such case this year, Brock said.
Heat such as that of recent days can be dangerous to anyone, but the elderly and very young are most at risk, said Brenda Greene, district deputy health director for the Southwest Public Health District.
Greene suggested that those who do not have adequate air conditioning seek out cooler locations during the hottest part of the day, which occurs in the mid- to late-afternoons.
“In some communities they have places you can go,” she said. “(Or) they could find a cool place to go during the day — the library, Wal-Mart, or mall.”
Tips to avoid overheating include drinking plenty of water and avoiding alcohol. People also should schedule exercise and other strenuous outdoor activities to the early morning or later in the afternoon when temperatures have dipped.
“Stay inside during the hottest part of the day,” Greene said. “If you get overheated get cool as quickly as you can.
“We just encourage them to drink more (water) than normal, regardless of the activity level. Again, we stress avoiding alcohol. It causes you to lose more fluids.”
Symptoms of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke or heat exhaustion can include excessive sweating, a cessation of sweating or heat stroke, Greene said. Those warning signals should be taken seriously.
“All of those are indications they need to seek some medical treatment,” she said.
Greene advised those who do not have air conditioning to use fans to keep air moving and wear loose-fitting clothing.
“We really stress that they absolutely cannot leave children in the car when it’s not running,” she said.
Colquitt Regional Medical Center reported that it is seeing two or three patients per day with heat-related conditions such as dehydration. All of those cases were classified as mild to moderate.
Although there have been no hospital admissions related to heat, there have been cases in which it was a contributing factor in other illnesses, a hospital spokesperson said.
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