Parents, coaches urged to watch students for heat illness

School nurses and athletic trainers say sweating, nausea, confusion and changes in speech or behavior can signal that a student is becoming dangerously overheated.

GRAY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Jones County school officials are reminding coaches, parents and students to watch for signs of heat-related illness as fall sports, marching band and cheerleading practices begin.

Students participating in sports, marching band and cheerleading may be at risk for heat-related illnesses during outdoor practices. Gray Elementary School nurse Mary Ann Branigan explains what coaches and teachers should know to keep students safe.

“So, with heat exhaustion you’re going to see stuff like dizziness, confusion, cramps, dehydration, dry mouth, excessive thirst, that type of stuff,” Branigan said. “You’ll still most of the time with heat exhaustion see sweating, but with heat stroke, your temperatures are going to be like 104 or greater, and you’re going to have hot dry skin.”

Branigan says parents should send their students to school in weather-appropriate clothing.

“So light colors is often best,” Branigan said. “Thin material like cotton, stuff that wicks away sweat. Things that are going to keep your child comfortable, short sleeves, shorts, make sure there wearing sunscreen. As the weather changes, you want to dress them in layers. If it’s cool inside, let them take a little sweater. But let them be comfortable outside.”

Athletic trainer at Jones County High School Garrett Law says they use the Perry Weather system, which tracks real-time data for lightning strikes, temperatures, high winds and rain.

“And we’re estimating the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature,” he said. “Which takes into account wind speed, humidity and the actual temperature. All of those things going together to give us a much more accurate number for how high is the heat load today.”

Law says knowing athletes’ patterns can help determine whether a heat-related illness is developing.

“One we’re looking at: how much they’re sweating, how they feel, are they nauseated? And if they’re getting really hot, we start looking for cognitive changes. If we see those cognitive changes, we know we have a problem, meaning they may slur their speech, they won’t answer questions or say nonsensical things. That makes us very concerned.”

Tyler Clifford, an athletic trainer at Jones County High School, says staying hydrated is key.

“It starts well before the day before,” he said. “A lot of people think you can just go in and if I hydrate tonight, I’m good for tomorrow. It’s a week in advance. You’ve got to start prepping. Monday night prep for Fridays. So, make sure you’re staying on top of things ahead of time.”

Branigan recommends all coaches and staff receive training for outdoor heat situations.