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WHEELING -- Triton Construction Co. worker Thomas Page has a few tricks up his sleeve while working in extreme heat -- like drinking pickle juice.
"Pickle juice -- it always helps me. If I start to get cramps, I drink pickle juice," he said on Monday. "It doesn't work for everybody, but it does work for me."
Drinking plenty of fluids, paying attention to one's body and taking breaks are all ways Triton workers are handling the heatwave forecast this week while working in the downtown.
The high temperatures are forecast to reach the high 90s and feel like 100 degrees or more. Officials are warning people to stay in cool locations and drink plenty of fluids. Those working outside are warned to take frequent breaks and keep hydrated.
To help beat the heat, Page said he and his fellow workers will be starting at 6 a.m. each day this week and through the rest of the summer.
"You just kind of keep going and dig deep and drink a bunch of water," he said of dealing with the high temperatures.
Triton Construction is the general contractor for the $32 million Downtown Streetscape Project taking place on Main and Market streets in Wheeling.
"It's going to be in the 90s and 100s all week," Page said. "We will be drinking lots of water and doing the hard stuff in the morning."
In addition to the occasional use of pickle juice, Page said he also drinks bottles of Gatorade and water during his shift. He also tries to eat light meals, such as watermelon, fruits and vegetables, so he doesn't feel ill while working.
Triton worker Brent Snider said after years of working in the heat his body is conditioned to higher temperatures.
"We've been doing it for a decade," he said. "If we weren't making good money, I wouldn't be doing it. We've got bills to pay and this is what we know how to do."
Triton worker Robbie Brandon said he drinks about 10-12 bottles of water during a shift.
"As long as we're losing it, we're drinking it. If we're sweating, we're drinking water," he said.
Snider added that one's body will also give signs if its is getting dehydrated.
"Your body tells you. ... If your urine is dark, if it's brown. You have to listen to your body," Snider said.
Brandon said there have been times when he has stopped sweating while working, and he had to make sure to stop, get in the shade and drink lots of water. Brandon said he has started using Liquid I.V., an electrolyte powder that is mixed into one's water.
"It makes you feel great," he said.
Signs of heat exhaustion can include: dizziness, thirst, heavy sweating, nausea and weakness. Signs of heat stroke can include confusion, dizziness and becoming unconscious, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.