The heat and humidity make it difficult to cool down.
This is especially dangerous for the very young, the very old, and anyone with medical problems-- especially kids and adults with asthma.
But there's another factor, too. The air quality is bad, and getting worse, due to ground-level ozone.
The Delaware Valley is under a Code Orange, the second highest alert level.
It means there's an unhealthy accumulation of pollution in the air that can make it hard for everyone to breathe.
The worst time is from noon to 6 p.m., when the sun interacts with polution, creating ozone.
If you take medication for asthma or other breathing problems, now is not the time to skip doses.
Mary Thorton-Bowmer, a nurse practicioner at Drexel University's 11th Street Family Health Services, says, "If they are using a maintenance medication, they really need to be using it twice a day or as often as they are supposed to and if they need a rescue inhaler, that's what they need to do."
If you use a rescue inhaler, make sure to have it with you at all times.
And if you find yourself using that inhaler more often than usual, tell your healthcare provider.
To help keep ozone levels down, avoid filling your car with gas and don't use a lawn mower or other gas-powered equipment between 12 and 6 pm.
Philadelphia and Montgomery County are under Code Red health warnings, and those are likely to stay in effect into or through the weekend.
For more information on Montgomery County's alert, click here.
