PORTLAND, Ore. — The current heat wave is making some people sick in Multnomah County.
Alice Busch, the Operations Manager for Multnomah County Emergency Services, said she’s seen an uptick in people going to the emergency room with heat-related illnesses.
She said several people have been admitted to area hospitals since the hot weather hit late last week.
“The majority of those were out in our East County area,” said Busch.
Busch said there are lots of ways people can take care of themselves so they don’t end up in the emergency room:
- Drink lots of water
- Wear light-colored, loose-fitting breathable clothing
- Avoid sugary drinks and alcohol
She said the “Help for when it’s hot page” on the Multnomah County website has phone numbers and resources for the elderly and disabled that includes and emergency cooling kit. They are currently ready to be distributed.
“Those kits have a little fan in them and a cooling towel and some other things to help them combat the heat,” Busch said.
On Sunday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office tweeted a picture showing deputies helping an elderly woman to a cooling shelter.
At Salmon Street Springs in downtown Portland, it was all about the fountain’s cooling effect on Sunday.
“We’ve all got sunscreen on and hats,” said Karen Rash-Gitner, who was out with her grandson, 4-year-old Otto.
“We’ve got water bottles, you bet,” she said.
Rash-Gitner is a nurse and she's already encountered plenty of people feeling sick from the heat. Every year it's like clockwork.
“People are not drinking enough fluids and they’re not staying out of the sun [during] the heat of the day,” said Rash-Gitner. “They’ve got to stay hydrated and they’ve got to stay out of the sun at the hottest time of the day.”