Image of areas under heat advisory through 7 p.m. Monday, June 24, 2024 via National Weather Service.
With cases of heatstroke and other heat illness on the rise amid soaring temperatures, the Louisiana Department of Health has updated related to those illnesses and is offering guides for staying safe under the sun. In March, the state recorded only three emergency department visits in local hospitals due to heat-related illnesses, according to data. As of June 15, there have been 48.
Meanwhile, daily high temperatures during Louisiana's summer are nearing 89 degrees in New Orleans and 91 degrees in Baton Rouge. The ranges between 95 and 105 degrees throughout the state. Heat advisories are in effect.
Heat-related illness can have long-term and short-term consequences for the body. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke, for instance, have the potential to cause heart attacks. Symptoms of heat-related illness brought on by extreme temperatures include dizziness, vomiting, fainting and high body temperatures at 103 degrees or higher.
The state first began tracking heat-related illness April 1. Updated weekly, LDH's public dashboard provides detailed breakdowns by day, parish, age, sex and race. State officials update the dashboard through patient records with emergency departments across Louisiana.
Changes to this year's dashboard include: There were 48 emergency department visits for heat-related illness, which includes heatstroke, exhaustion or heat cramps, on June 15, the latest da.