Play Safely in the Heat

Summer is here with a wilting vengeance. While it's usually pleasant to be outdoors, severely hot weather can provide unrelentingly hot backdrops for young athletes.

The human body creates a tremendous amount of internal heat. It normally cools itself by sweating and radiating heat through the skin. But children can gain heat faster than adults when the air temperature is higher than their body temperature due to their relatively smaller skin surface. This can lead to the buildup of heat and result in heat cramps, exhaustion or heatstroke. These potentially dangerous conditions are preventable if you're aware of the conditions that lead to them.

According to the Mayo Clinic, following are some signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion in children:

Muscle cramps, pale skin and fever over 102. Symptoms also include nausea, vomiting,? diarrhea, headache, fatigue, weakness and anxiety.

Here are some tips to avoid heat-related illness in children:

-- Make sure kids drink enough water before, during and after activities, and avoid giving them sports drinks loaded with sugar.

-- Dress children in light-colored, cotton clothing.

-- Try to schedule vigorous outdoor activity during cooler times of the day: avoid the mid-day sun.

-- Teach children to listen to their bodies and to rest if they need to, in a cool, shady area.

Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.