The hottest and muggiest part of the summer season is formerly and popularly known as the Dog Days of Summer. As boating this time of the year, people often ignore and misunderstand the dangers that may happen. In this article, you will be informed about the origin of this term as well as the specific dangers that should be looked for.
Those famous words we so often hear when the month of August approaches are The Dog Days of Summer. The time period when the summer experiences the hottest and muggiest weather is between early July and early September making August the center of attention. The term "dog days" dates back to ancient times when the night sky would become unobscured by artificial lights and smog. In different parts of the world people would look to the stars and see their own pictures and map then out.
They would see images such as bears, a bull, dogs and others. The brightest star is Sirius, the big dog, and is the brightest star in the night sky.In the summer the star sets and rises with the sun and the ancients believed it added heat to the sun creating the hot and muggy weather. They named this period of time the "dog days" after the star giving us our saying "The Dog Days of Summer".
When boating along the Mississippi River during this period of time many people are unaware of the dangers the heat and humidity. We would like to remind everyone of the dangers of Heat Illnesses and Heat Stress Disorders. Statistics show that more than 300 people in the United States alone die from heat illnesses every year. These illnesses cause more deaths than hurricanes, tornados, lightning, and floods combined. The elderly and young children are at the highest risk. Heat Illnesses occur when the body is unable to cool itself properly. Sweating is the body's normal way of cooling itself, but when the humidity is too high the sweat is unable to evaporate, preventing the body from releasing the heat. Other conditions leading to high risk are obesity, fever,dehydration, heart disease, sunburn, drug use and alcohol consumption. Alcohol consumption is a poor common practice among boaters and should be monitored closely.
Heat Stress Disorders such as heat stroke may occur when the body is unable to regulate its temperature. Body temperature may rise to 106 degrees within just 10 minutes. The result of heat stroke can leave disabilities or even death. Heat Exhaustion is milder and can occur over several days of high heat exposure and an unbalance of hydrating liquids. If left untreated, it could lead to stroke.
When out cruising the Mississippi River and stopping at sandbars for long periods of time some warning signs to look for when it comes to heat illnesses or disorders are: extreme body temperature increase to above 103 degrees; red, hot or dry skin and no sweating; a throbbing headache, unconsciousness, dizziness, nausea, and confusion. For Heat Exhaustion look for heavy sweating, muscle cramps, fainting and a headache.
A few ways to managing extreme heat conditions would be to cool off with a swim in the river. Always drink plenty of water and stay away from drinks that have caffeine, sugar, or alcohol. Try to avoid drinking very cold drinks because they may create stomach cramps. When possible stop at the nearest marina and go indoors and enjoy some air conditioning and see if you can even cool off by using one of their showers.
Boating is a great recreation for the whole family and friends to enjoy and always remember to know the signs of what our bodies are telling us.
On The Mississipi River: Dog Days of Summer