The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday said that 190 people sought treatment for heat injuries at hospital emergency rooms (ERs) in the first 10 days of this month, and that not all of the injuries occurred outdoors.
Outdoor temperatures have on most days recently reached 35°C, and sometimes topped 37°C, resulting in a rise in heat injuries, it said, citing Central Weather Bureau statistics.
The types of injury are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, it said.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
From July 1 to Friday, there were 190 ER visits for heat injuries, up from 116 visits a year earlier, or about 1.6 times higher, the HPA said, adding that not all of the cases occurred under a scorching sun.
The main cause of indoor heat injuries is poor ventilation, which causes the indoor temperature to rise rapidly, HPA Community Health Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said, adding that heat injuries develop if people’s bodies are not regulating their temperature properly.
“Elderly people and children are usually less capable of regulating their body temperature, so they are more susceptible to oversweating and dehydration if room temperatures continue to rise, and they might have a heat injury,” she said.
In hot weather, people should drink water more frequently, not just when they feel thirsty, and avoid drinking alcohol or sugary beverages, the HPA said, adding that air-conditioners should be set at about 26°C or 27°C, or rooms should have good ventilation.
Wearing a thin jacket in air-conditioned buildings can prevent discomfort from sudden changes between indoor and outdoor temperatures, while wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing permits greater air circulation and evaporation of sweat, allowing the body to cool faster, it said.
Heat injury symptoms include rising body temperature, flushed skin, a rapid heartbeat, headache, dizziness, vomiting, weakness, cramps and confusion, Lo said.
Excessive heat can even cause a seizure or coma, Lo added.
People with symptoms should move to a cool place and try to lower their body temperature by removing excess clothing, drenching the skin with cool water or fanning the skin.
They should drink cool water with salt or an electrolyte drink, and be taken for medical treatment as soon as possible.
Starbucks Taiwan’s decision to charge for drink customization, which had been free, has sparked consumer backlash, highlighting the challenge of raising prices without making customers feel they are losing value, experts said. Since Oct. 12, customers who order drinks with less or no ice and ask to have the volume topped up with milk or other liquid have been charged an additional NT$15. Topping off drinks without ice was previously free, and disgruntled customers posted photos on social media showing that iced drinks ordered without ice were only half full if the extra NT$15 was not paid. The posts drew tens of thousands
EXPLANATION: Tsai said he attended events featuring various interviewees to observe them firsthand as part of his interview research Television host Kevin Tsai (蔡康永) last night broke his silence over a controversy surrounding his appearance at a campaign event for Democratic Progressive Party Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋), saying he had never supported Taiwan independence. “I have always hoped for friendly cross-strait relations. I have never supported Taiwan independence,” Tsai wrote in a post on the Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo. Tsai, who has hosted television shows in China, attended the opening of Shen’s campaign headquarters on Oct. 4, drawing criticism from Chinese social media users and prompting some Chinese companies to distance themselves from him. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office
Major department stores across Taiwan, including Taipei 101, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi, Far Eastern SOGO, Breeze and Honhui Plaza, are closed today due to Typhoon Champi, while major supermarkets remain open. Taipei 101 said its shopping mall, observatory and restaurants on higher floors are closed for the day, with future hours to be adjusted based on the storm's status. Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has closed all 16 of its branches nationwide, as well as its Taipei Railway Station mall and SKM Park Outlets in Kaohsiung. Far Eastern SOGO said it has closed all of its branches nationwide, including Garden City in Taipei, citing the safety
DOUBLE-CHECK: Mandarin Airlines said that it would adjust its schedule according to weather conditions, while high-speed rail services are to remain undisrupted Airlines, ferry services, railways and national parks announced cancelations and closures yesterday, as Typhoon Champi bore down on Taiwan. The Central Weather Administration yesterday issued land warnings for most of Taiwan proper, as Champi is forecast to come closest to the nation today. Taiwan Railway Corp (TRC) has canceled all express trains on its western and eastern trunk lines today, while the high-speed rail system would continue to operate normally. For non-reserved TRC services, trains on the Coast Line, Chengzhui Line, Yilan Line and North Link Line are fully suspended. Services between Hualien and Taitung counties, as well as other unsuspended routes, would operate
RSS