Whiteside County Health Department Assistant Organizational Officer Cory Law submitted this health information, regarding a period of dangerous heat and humidity coming Tuesday, July 22, through Friday, July 25, 2025.
- Heat indices have a greater than 90% probability of being around–or exceeding–100 degrees.
- The hottest days look to be Wednesday into Thursday.
For more information, contact Law at 815-626-2230, extension 1224, or by email: claw@whitesidehealth.org.
HEAT STROKE
• High body temperature (103°F or higher)
• Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
• Fast, strong pulse
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Confusion
• Losing consciousness (passing out.)
HEAT EXHAUSTION
• Heavy sweating
• Cold, pale, and clammy skin
• Fast, weak pulse
• Nausea or vomiting
• Muscle cramps
• Tiredness or weakness
• Dizziness
• Headache
• Fainting (passing out.)
HEAT CRAMPS
• Heavy sweating during intense exercise
• Muscle pain or spasms
SUNBURN
• Painful, red, and warm skin
• Blisters on the skin
HEAT RASH
• Red clusters of small blisters that look like pimples on the skin (usually on the
neck, chest, groin, or in elbow creases.)
WHAT TO DO
• Call 911 right away. Heat stroke is a medical emergency!
• Move the person to a cooler place.
• Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath.
• DO NOT GIVE the person anything to drink!
• Move to a cool place.
• Loosen your clothes.
• Put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath.
• Sip water.
Get medical help right away if:
• you are throwing up.
• your symptoms get worse.
• your symptoms last longer than 1 hour.
• Stop physical activity and move to a cool place.
• Drink water or a sports drink.
• Wait for cramps to go away before you do any more physical activity.
Get medical help right away if:
• Cramps last longer than 1 hour.
• You’re on a low-sodium diet.
• You have heart problems.
• Stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals.
• Put cool cloths on sunburned areas or take a cool bath.
• Put moisturizing lotion on sunburned areas,
• Do not break blisters,
• Stay in a cool, dry place,
• Keep the rash dry,
• Use powder (like baby powder) to soothe the rash.