This is a weekend to get lazy and let go of your guilt about it.

Doctors’ orders are to avoid exercise, or at least strenuous exercise outside in the heat.

Temperatures should be at or near 100 degrees for the fourth consecutive day in Central Oregon today, possibly punctuated with dry thunderstorms. The air should cool to the 80s on Sunday, with some clouds and a breeze, forecasters say.

The last times the mercury bulged above 100 were in August 1996 and August 1998, said Ann Adams, a weather technician from the National Weather Service in Pendleton. The record high in Bend is 104 degrees, set on July 25, 1928, and on July 27, 1939.

A number of racers in the Cascade Cycling Classic went down with dehydration during the heat this week and needed IVs, said Dr. Randy Jacobs, a doctor with Urgent Care at Bend Memorial Clinic.

”In some cases, the athletic challenge outrides the sensibility,” he said.

The general rule to prevent these things is to hydrate well and reduce exertion.

The first signs of heat-related health problems are usually muscular cramps, nausea, vomiting, or feeling light-headed and weak, Jacobs said. The next step from that is heat exhaustion, which is marked by headaches, loss of appetite, extreme thirst, cramps, and increases in temperature.

The most severe problem is heat stroke, which requires immediate medical attention and is the most life-threatening. That’s when body temperatures reach 106 or 107 degrees and can cause seizures, disorientation or even comas, Jacobs said.

The elderly and infants are in the most danger from heat-related distress.

Karen Damoth-Yeargain at the Deschutes County Health Department recommends drinking more water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which exacerbate dehydration. Electrolyte drinks can help.

Those working on hot rooftops in construction should take the day off. Exercise addicts should take to the pool.

Be thankful you have something to do. Dogs aren’t so lucky, unless you have one of those foot-deep plastic pools in the back yard. Animal experts advise leaving dogs at home with shade and water for the stint of steamy weather. Ignore their whining and insist that Duke and Rover avoid hikes and runs this weekend.

”They love to go with us and won’t show us the signs that they’re having problems,” said Troy Kerstetter, animal welfare director with the Humane Society of Central Oregon.

Even pets in cars parked in the shade will swelter, and animals suffer from heat exhaustion faster than people because they don’t have pores to sweat from, and they have smaller body mass. When the pooch starts to pant, it’s cooling, but if it quits panting, its body might be going into shock, and it’s in severe danger.

One favor you can do for Fido is to shave his belly, Kerstetter said. Dogs lose a lot of heat through their bellies, which is why they dig holes and lay in the dirt on hot days.

Cats generally fare better in the heat than dogs, Kerstetter said, in part because we don’t generally take them jogging or for a drive.

Livestock and larger animals need double the amount of water and shade, too.

Even that hunk of metal that doesn’t have flesh or blood or a name – well maybe it has a name – parked in your garage needs a little extra attention.

Pat Proctor of Pat’s Auto said car owners should have had their cooling systems checked before being in the middle of the hottest weather of the summer, but if it’s too late and the car overheats, shut it off and pull over.

And walk to the pool.

Overheating can cause blown head gaskets and worse, he said. Drivers might need to turn off the air conditioner, as awful as that may sound, because the air conditioner takes heat from the car and puts it in front of the radiator. So, logically, a car that’s heating up can be helped by turning the heater on, to blow the heat off of the radiator. Proctor recommends rolling the windows down.

Sounds fun, eh?

Anne Aurand can be

reached at 541-383-0323 or

aaurand@bendbulletin.com.