South Florida's heat packs a punch
FORT LAUDERDALE – There are ways to stay cool during South Florida's hot weather, you don't have to have spider-sense.
Under the hot sun, in his Spider-Man costume directing drivers to buy a mattress off Federal Highway, Andrew Kress knows his superpower.
"It's important to stay hydrated. Temperatures in this suit can top 110 degrees," he says.
Kress and other people working outdoors in South Florida have to be extra careful. Dehydration can happen fast.
Dr. Paige Swalley, who works at HCA Florida Northwest Hospital, is seeing a lot more people in her emergency room.
"We are seeing a lot of people come in with dehydration," she says.
"We are especially concerned when people start having neurological symptoms like weakness and cramping. In that instance, you need to go right to an emergency room," she says.
To keep cool:
Drink plenty of water
Find air conditioning
Use sunscreen and a hat outdoors, and
Avoid intense workouts
"I also encourage water with electrolytes," says Dr. Swalley.
Andrew Kress is always looking for a little shade. He drinks two gallons of water a day. And that suit doesn't help.
"There's no UV blocker. I get burned under the suit. I wear sunscreen underneath even on cloudy days," he says.
