DHSS: heat and humidity can place a lot of stress on your body

State health officials say air conditioning is the best preventive measure for you to battle the heat and humidity. The National Weather Service (NWS) has extended the heat advisory for mid-Missouri through Thursday evening.

The state Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) says 18 people died from heat exposure in Missouri in 2021, ranging in age from 35 to 105. Half of those deaths were Missourians between the ages of 35 and 64.

Acting state health director Paula Nickelson warns that heat and humidity can place a lot of stress on the body. She’s urging you to use air conditioning, stay hydrated and to the pace yourself during the heat wave.

Director Nickelson is also urging you to check on your friends and neighbors, especially the elderly and chronically ill. She says you should call the state’s toll-free abuse and neglect hotline to report a senior citizen or a disabled adult in need of assistance due to heat. That number is 1-800-392-0210.