Healthy Summer

Missouri summers can be hot! In the heat of the summer, it’s best to avoid the mid-day sun. Instead, get outdoors in the mornings, late afternoons or evenings.

Explore these resources that can help you stay healthy and safe during the summer season.

Summer Weather and Sun Safety

• Hyperthermia - be safe, aware and prepared for hot weather. Learn the signs and symptoms of heat stress and hyperthermia. Recognizing them early can save lives and help you to know what to do until help arrives.
• Cooling Centers - find a local cooling center near you. A cooling center is a place to cool down from the heat during the day. This map shares contact and access information under normal business operations. Keep this resource on hand for your best health plan.
• CDC's Heat & Health Tracker - view local heat and health information to better prepare for and respond to extreme heat events
• CDC's Melanoma Dashboard - view data on skin cancer and get preventive tips for staying safe in the sun

Heat stress or heat-related illness can be reduced by following these COOL DOWN Missouri tips

Cooling centers are places across Missouri where you can cool down. Have this resource on hand to keep yourself and others, including your work buddies, safe from the heat.

Opt to work, exercise or play outdoors in the coolest hours of the day.

Offer others hydrating beverages like flavored waters and sports drinks. Avoid caffeine and alcohol.

Learn the signs of heat stress and watch out for them in others.

Don’t wait, call 911 and get medical help right away if you suspect heat stress in yourself or someone else. Timing is key: as the body temperature rises, every second counts, and emergency response is critical.

One serious symptom observed in a person with heat stress is passing out - fainting or losing consciousness. Call 911 and get medical help right away!

Working in the heat? As a safety measure, buddy up! If you and a partner are watching out for each other, you’ll both have a better chance of avoiding heat stress.

Never leave children or pets in cars!

Summer Allergies

• Pollen and Mold - In summer, ragweed and other pollens and mold in the air can trigger your allergies or asthma. Learn more about different pollen and mold allergens and when their levels are usually highest in Missouri.

Tick and Mosquito-borne Disease in Missouri

Ticks and mosquitoes are very common in Missouri and both can spread disease through bites. Learn more about how to avoid ticks while also enjoying the Missouri outdoors this summer by visiting our interactive story map below:

Tickborne Disease – view interactive maps of tickborne diseases in Missouri, common ticks that spread them, and tips for preventing exposure in the first place.

Healthy at Home or Away

Harvest is in Reach - explore Missouri's food access landscape, summer food and farmer’s market programs, and resources for getting outside and exploring the fresh picks of the season in your community. Resources include links to educational events and recipe inspiration. What’s for your dinner tonight?

• Fish Advisory - catch, prepare, and eat healthy fish
• Carbon Monoxide - prevent carbon monoxide poisoning while vacationing, boating or grilling
• Missouri Grown - find fresh, local and delicious Missouri-grown foods and fun
• Radon - if your windows are closed this summer, it may be an ideal time to test for radon
• Storms - recover after a storm or flood

Harmful Algal Blooms - avoid and report blooms in lakes, ponds, and streams. Learn about the health effects in humans and animals, and what to do if you or others were in water with a bloom.

Private Drinking Water – test your private drinking water well once a year, anytime the well is serviced or if you notice a change in water color, smell or taste.

Additional Resources:

• Summer Food Service Program
• Nutrition for Wellness and Prevention
• Farm to Early Care and Education
• Missouri Storm Aware
• Natural Disasters and Weather Emergencies
• Missouri State Park Beach Status
• Farm Safety

Missouri Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) is a program within the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. EPHT is part of a network of people and information systems which delivers a core set of health, exposure, and hazards data, information summaries and tools to enable analysis, visualization and reporting of insights drawn from data. Those insights are intended to help data drive actions and improve community health.