June 11, 2025 As summer heats up, LDH helps residents prevent heat-related illnessKnow your risk and take precautions to protect yourself and others

Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Jun 11, 2025 - With summer in full swing, the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) is reminding residents to take measures to prevent heat-related illness.

Heat can be dangerous. When it is hot outside, the body eliminates excess heat through sweating and increases blood flow to the skin. Humidity makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself. Heat-related illness (HRI), or hyperthermia, occurs when the body is unable to maintain a normal temperature, resulting in heat exhaustion or life-threatening heat stroke. 

Everyone is susceptible to illness during extreme heat, but some people are at greater risk:

• Older adults, who do not sweat as much as younger adults and are more likely to have chronic health conditions.
• People with chronic health conditions, such as heart or kidney disease, respiratory conditions, high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity.
• People using medications that interfere with thermoregulation, fluid balance, or increased skin sensitivity to sun exposure. Learn more from CDC’s Heat and Medications – Guidance for Clinicians. 
• People using illicit substances and alcohol. In 2023, one-third of all heat fatalities in Louisiana involved substance use. Learn more here.
• Outdoor workers and some indoor workers who work in a hot, non-air-conditioned environment.
• Athletes and people who exercise outdoors.
• Unhoused individuals and people who live in buildings or homes with no air conditioning.
• Socially isolated individuals and people with limited mobility.
• Infants and young children, who are sensitive to the effects of high temperatures and rely on others to control their environments.
• Pregnant women, who experience more bodily stress and are more likely to become dehydrated. 

In 2024, LDH tracked 51 heat-related deaths and 4,463 emergency department (ED) visits for heat-related illness. There were 88 heat-related deaths and 6,142 ED visits for heat-related illness in 2023. 

Heat illness can be mild or severe. Residents, workers, and employers need to know the symptoms of heat illness and treatments to prevent heat stroke or death.

LDH offers a suite of resources at ldh.la.gov/heat to help Louisianans stay safe during the hot summer months. The dashboard offers Louisianans a comprehensive view of ED visits for HRI across the state. Updated weekly, the dashboard provides detailed information by day, parish, LDH region, age, sex, and race. It also allows users to explore potential connections between daily HRI counts and maximum and minimum temperatures. 

Louisiana’s heat can be brutal, especially for outdoor workers spending all day in the sun. Staying hydrated and taking breaks in the shade are essential to staying safe on the job. The heat dashboard includes guidance for employers in the full heat toolkit on how to keep employees safe during extreme heat. 

How to protect yourself and others from heat-related illness

• Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, even if you don't feel thirsty. If you are sweating a lot, drink electrolyte-containing liquids, such as sports drinks, to replace salt and minerals. Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and sugary drinks.
• Stay informed. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and heat advisories so you know when extreme heat is coming and how long it may last.
• Stay in air-conditioned spaces. If your home is not air-conditioned, visit a cooling center, library, or shopping mall. During extreme heat events, seek cooling centers in your community. To find a cooling center in Orleans Parish, dial 311. To find a cooling center elsewhere around the state, pay attention to news outlets, your best sources.
• Reach out. Contact the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) if you need help with home-energy expenses, such as bills, cooling equipment, or repairs.
• Keep your home cool. Wait until evening to use hot appliances such as the oven, dryer, or iron. Wash hot-water loads of laundry at night. Close blinds and curtains during the day. Use window reflectors designed to reflect heat outside.
• Dress appropriately. Wear sunscreen, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses outside. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, and light-colored clothing to reflect heat and sunlight. 
• Avoid outdoor activities during the hottest part of the day, typically 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Never leave children or pets alone in vehicles. Look before you lock. 
• Check your meds. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist to see if any of your medications affect your body’s ability to regulate temperature.
• Look after each other. Check in on family, friends, and neighbors, particularly older adults, those without air conditioning, and those who spend most of their time alone.

If you work outside, remember: Water, rest, and shade

• Water: Drink water every 15 minutes. Have electrolyte drinks on hand in addition to water when performing strenuous, sweat-producing tasks for extended periods. Equip all work areas with water that is clean and potable, cool, free of charge, and close to worksite and break areas.
• Rest: Take and encourage frequent rest breaks that are long enough to recover from the heat and for the heart rate to slow (at least 5 minutes). Provide seating. Do not wait until symptoms occur to rest. 
• Shade: Provide a shady or cool location to take breaks and recover from the heat, a large enough area for workers to be distanced from each other and comfortable underneath. If vehicles are used as a rest area, park the vehicles in the shade and cool them with air conditioning before use.

Visit ldh.la.gov/heat for additional information about heat-related illnesses in Louisiana, along with signs, symptoms, and guidance.