When temperatures rise we often think of how our livestock will be affected, but we tend to forget about the ones who put the food on our tables. When heat strikes it is important for farmers to be taking care of themselves to prevent injury or harm. 

Melissa Ploeckelman Brown is the Outreach Specialist for the National Farm Medicine Center and talks about the best prevention tactics to keep yourself safe in the heat as well as others. For instance, Heat illness is anytime a person’s body reacts to the heat and feels sick.  Heat stress is when the body is merely stressed due to the heat.  That should be managed by taking a break, finding shade or a cool place to rest, drinking some water or electrolytes (like Gatorade).  Heat exhaustion is a bit more serious and the person may feel faint or dizzy, have excessive sweating, with rapid or weak pulse.  The person may experience nausea or vomiting and have muscle cramps.  In this situation the person needs to get to a cooler place, usually with air conditioning.  They need to drink water and maybe even take a cool shower.  The most serious heat illness is heat stroke.  The person may have all the same symptoms with additional symptoms of throbbing headache, the sweating stops, the body temperature is above 103 and the skin is red, dry, and hot to the touch. If this occurs its important to call 911 for additional care and to try to keep the person cool until medical service arrival. 

When temperatures rise we often think of how our livestock will be affected, but we tend to forget about the ones who put the food on our tables. When heat strikes it is important for farmers to be taking care of themselves to prevent injury or harm.&nbsp;
Melissa Ploeckelman Brown is the Outreach Specialist for the National Farm Medicine Center and talks about the best prevention tactics to keep yourself safe in the heat as well as others. For instance, Heat illness is anytime a person&rsquo;s body reacts to the heat and feels sick.&nbsp; Heat stress is when the body is merely stressed due to the heat.&nbsp; That should be managed by taking a break, finding shade or a cool place to rest, drinking some water or electrolytes (like Gatorade).&nbsp; Heat exhaustion is a bit more serious and the person may feel faint or dizzy, have excessive sweating, with rapid or weak pulse.&nbsp; The person may experience nausea or vomiting and have muscle cramps.&nbsp; In this situation the person needs to get to a cooler place, usually with air conditioning.&nbsp; They need to drink water and maybe even take a cool shower.&nbsp; The most serious heat illness is heat stroke.&nbsp; The person may have all the same symptoms with additional symptoms of throbbing headache, the sweating stops, the body temperature is above 103 and the skin is red, dry, and hot to the touch. If this occurs its important to call 911 for additional care and to try to keep the person cool until medical service arrival.&nbsp;

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

Join Pam Jahnke for the latest farm news. Heard daily on WOZN 96.7 FM and 1670 AM in Madison Wisconsin from 5-6am. Also heard on affiliate stations all over Wisconsin.

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