High temperatures are remaining steady across Montana, and health experts are urging residents to recognize the warning signs of heat exhaustion before it turns deadly.
At Terry Park in Billings, splash pads are packed with kids trying to beat the heat. For Giselle Lewis, the routine is a near-daily necessity.
Watch to learn more about heat exhaustion:
"Pretty much every other day. Kind of cools down the kids," Lewis said Tuesday.
But even with water and shade nearby, Lewis knows the risks.
"I try to limit the time out here but definitely try to make it where they're satisfied, and they cool off," Lewis said.
Billings Clinic physician assistant Alison Quammen says children and the elderly are among the most vulnerable to heat-related illness.
"Kids, you know, the vulnerable. Little kids, elderly, they're definitely more susceptible to that," Lewis said.
Billings Parks and Recreation's Rec2U program has continued operating through the hottest days of summer.
"We haven't had to cancel it yet," Jake Milliron, program community outreach coordinator, said.
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"Sometimes you get a bright-red-faced kid who runs up and says, 'can I color?' And let's go get a drink of water first or maybe run through the splash pad first'," Milliron said.
Quammen says heat exhaustion doesn't always look dramatic in its early stages.
"Feeling nauseous, feeling dizzy. Our heart rate's going to elevate. We're going to sweat copiously," Quammen said.
And Quammen warns that heat stroke — the more dangerous stage — can be life-threatening.
"Our core body temperature can be above 104," Quammen said. "That can lead to multi-organ failure and death if you don't get rapidly cooled."
Heat exhaustion can also be easy to miss because it doesn't require every symptom to be present.
"It doesn't have to be that you have all of the signs and symptoms," Quammen said.
Quammen says the best defense is staying ahead of the heat before symptoms start.
"We want to be drinking fluids. We want to do electrolyte rehydration because we're getting rid of our sodium when we're sweating a lot. We want to replace that," Quammen said.
For parents, Quammen says not to ignore the small signs in children.
"If your kid's just starting to get really lethargic. They're tired. They want a nap. You know, you feel them, and they feel physically hot. You know, they're really sweating. That's going to be signs that we need to get them out of the heat," Quammen said.
