As the summer heats up, so do outdoor activities and the dangerof suffering illness from the heat.

The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has issued severalsafety tips that should help lessen the chances of heat-relatedillnesses.

Mississippi residents are encourage to reduce strenuousactivity, avoid overexposure to the sun and postpone outdoor gamesand activities.

Even with the heat index reaching 110 several days in July, manypeople ignore those tips since the summer is a time of vacations,yard grooming and other outdoor activities that are best when theweather is warm.

However, too much time outdoors with such extreme temperaturescan cause illnesses such as heat strokes and dehydration.

“People exercising or working during the hottest part of the dayexperience many heat emergencies,” said Robert Latham, director ofMEMA.

Many who work outdoors for a living must look past the “stay outof the sun” warnings and find other ways to beat the heat.

“We make sure everyone takes a break every now and then,” saidScotty Laird, who as owner of a local lawn maintenance service,spends most of his days outdoors.

His company’s work trucks, like many others in the area, areequipped every day with large water coolers to help cool employeesdown during their needed breaks. Breaks and fluids help peopletolerate the heat better, according to MEMA.

MEMA suggests that people involved in outdoor activities drinkfluids regularly, even if they do not feel thirsty.

Dehydration can occur quickly and unnoticed, but plenty of waterand other thirst-quenching fluids can keep the body hydrated.

“Our guys drink plenty of water, and if they get too hot, theystop working and cool off,” said Carol Butler, a foreman on theBrookhaven High School construction project.

Children and pets, who both sweat significantly less thanadults, also need special attention because their bodies do nothave good cooling systems.

They should never be left alone in closed vehicles astemperatures can reach over 140 degrees within minutes.

The best way to avoid any negative results from the heat is tostay in an air-conditioned building during the hottest part of theday. Any optional outdoors work should be done from 5 to 8 a.m. orfrom 6 to 9 p.m. when the sun is not as strong.

MEMA also suggests the following additional safety tips:

* Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine, which can actuallydehydrate the body.

* Eat small meals and eat more often to decrease the amount ofinternal heat used for digestion.

* Do not use salt tablets; they cause the body to retain fluidsand decrease sweating.

* Wear loose fitting, lightweight, light-colored clothing tohelp maintain normal body temperature.

* Use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater to avoid sunburn,which slows the skin’s ability to cool itself.

* Protect face and head with a wide-brimmed hat to keep directsunlight from those areas.