On June 5, 2024, temperatures will reach triple digits in Joshua Tree, California. Much of the Southwest is experiencing high temperatures from a high-pressure ridge or heat dome over California.
Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times, Getty Images/Los Angeles Times
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Gina Ferrazzi/Los Angeles Times, Getty Images/Los Angeles Times
The summer heat is coming. The western United States is under unseasonably high temperatures driven by a heat dome. Heat warnings or heat advisories have been issued for much of California and the Southwest.
This year is expected to be the hottest on record. High temperatures can be fatal. According to the Associated Press, there were an estimated 2,300 heat-related deaths in the United States last year.
If there is a heat warning in your area, you should stay indoors as much as possible. But if you need to go outside, or if you’re somewhere with moderate temperatures, remember to take precautions.
John Shuman, a primary care physician in Tulsa, Oklahoma, warns that mowing the lawn or going on a picnic may be fine, but “don’t overdo it.”
David Eisenman, a UCLA physician and co-director of the UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions, notes that there are many misconceptions about the best ways to stay safe. Here are the mistakes to avoid and ways to plan ahead to protect yourself from the heat.
1. Too much, too fast: you need to adapt
Neal Gandhi, a doctor at Houston Methodist Hospital, says your body needs time to adjust when a heat wave hits: “You can’t do too much too fast.”
If you go from spending most of your time in air conditioning to doing outdoor activities in sweltering heat, you may be caught off guard. Gandhi said your body has not “adapted to stress.” In the United States, approximately 650 people die from heat-related illnesses each year.
Fortunately, once acclimated, the body is better able to fight off heat-related illnesses. “At lower body temperatures, our bodies start to sweat more quickly and at a faster rate,” Eisenman explains. Additionally, blood flow to the skin is improved, allowing for better penetration. Cooling effect is achieved by bringing heat out of the body’s core. And your thirst will increase, so you’ll be less likely to become dehydrated.
But it won’t happen immediately. “This will happen over a period of several days of exposure,” Eisenman said. So if you plan on hiking, summer sightseeing, or any other activity that involves prolonged exposure to heat, plan to spend a small amount of time in the heat each day in the days leading up to your outdoor adventure.
Be aware, Eisenman says, that children adapt much more slowly than adults, so give them extra time to prepare.
2. Failure to pre-hydrate (and rehydrate!)
Stay hydrated ahead of time, says Wafi Momin, a cardiologist at Memorial Hermann Health System in Katy, Texas. “Drink a glass of water or a sports drink before going outdoors,” he says.
And carry plenty of water. Don’t wait until you are thirsty before drinking water during outdoor activities. “By the time you start feeling thirsty, you’re probably 10 to 25 percent dehydrated,” Gandhi said.
Eisenman points out that most people don’t drink enough fluids during a normal day, so it’s easy to become underhydrated on a hot day. His advice is to double your daily alcohol intake. The best hydration test is to check the color of your urine. “Make sure you pee often and that your urine is pale” — almost clear, Eisenman says.
Water is the best way to stay hydrated—and it’s free! Sports drinks add electrolytes, which can be helpful if you overheat or compete in a marathon or other endurance event, but aren’t necessary if you just want to stay hydrated throughout the day, Schumann said. Medical director of Oak Street Health, a health care chain. Tulsa has seen 100-degree temperatures in recent weeks, he said.
“As much as I turn my nose up at all the millennials carrying around water bottles in this hot day and age, kids — they’re right about that,” he said.
3. Don’t be a frog in a pot of warm water (i.e. your car)
You may not realize how hot it is inside your car.
Eisenman explained that cars can heat up quickly even in moderate temperatures due to the “miniature greenhouse effect.”
“Sunlight passes through these windows, and then the heat bounces off and gets trapped inside. It becomes heat at a different wavelength, and it doesn’t come back out of the window,” he said. “On a moderate day, say it’s 75 degrees outside, 25 minutes later it’s going to be 100 degrees inside the car.”
Every year, approximately 50 children die due to being left in cars. So don’t underestimate the dangers, especially if you’re distracted from taking a call, Eisenman said. “Even if the air conditioner is running, even if the windows are cracked, it gets hot inside very quickly,” he added.
4. Heat + (certain) medications do not mix
Some medications may make a person more susceptible to heat, Momin explained.
He explained that some heart medications, such as blood pressure medications, taken by millions of people are diuretics. “These drugs try to remove fluid from the body because of the underlying heart problem,” he said. If you then apply heat, this can also cause you to lose excess fluid, “which can lead to a very dangerous situation.”
Schumann said other types of drugs can produce this effect as well. These medications include anticholinergics, anticonvulsants, bladder medications, and sedatives. “Many medications work by dehydrating us – flushing out excess fluid. Be careful!” he warns.
In general, older adults are more susceptible to heat, so if you are older and taking these medications, take extra precautions to stay cool and hydrated. Ask your doctor if any medications you take may cause dehydration.
5. Don’t ignore early symptoms of heat-related illness
The first few signs of overheating may not be too concerning: sweating, fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. You may feel nauseous or dizzy. But “these are telltale signs that heat exhaustion is creeping in,” Momin said.
“You might brush it off and say, you know, it’s hot, I’ve felt this way before, but the worst symptoms can come very quickly and you don’t realize it,” he said. “All of a sudden, your body overheats to a point where you really can’t drink enough fluids at that point to reverse what’s happened.”
Symptoms of heat exhaustion can quickly become more severe. They may include muscle cramps, increased fatigue, and a rapid heart rate. “When you exert force, you may begin to feel weak and even a little out of breath,” Gandhi said.
6. Know when to seek medical advice
If someone around you begins to show signs of heat-related illness, move them to a cool area, give them water or a sports drink, and moisturize their skin. You can also remove unnecessary clothing such as shoes, socks, and jackets.
Then, observe them. Their symptoms should start to improve in about 30 minutes, Eisenman said. If they don’t get better during that time or if at any point They begin to experience more worrisome symptoms and seek medical assistance. “I think sometimes people wait too long to call 911,” Eisenman said.
“If their heart rate is increased, if they’re breathing rapidly, if they look confused, these are all signs that they’ve been exposed to more heat than others. you It can be handled,” Eisenman said.
When suffering from heat stroke, people may even lose consciousness or pass out – in this case, seek medical attention immediately.
you real Want to avoid heat stroke: During heat stroke, your core body temperature can quickly rise to 103 to 105 degrees or higher, Gandhi said. When this happens, “you quickly start to experience some organ damage.”
7. Wear loose, lightweight clothing
If you’re spending time in hot weather, what you wear matters. “I look for light colors because they tend to reflect heat rather than absorb it more than dark colors like black and dark blue,” says Momin. Stay away from tight clothing as it blocks airflow.
“Loose-fitting clothing allows heat to evaporate from the body more easily,” Eisenman adds.
8. Drinking is a bad idea
If you’re attending an outdoor party, resist the ice-cold margaritas. Go for a mocktail. “Alcohol dehydrates you faster” in the heat, Schumann said.
If you decide to drink something stimulating, “drink water with every drink to avoid trouble,” he says. “If you end up having to pee more often, it’s worth it. If you don’t, you might get into trouble.”
Momin agrees that “alcohol is a big problem” if you’re outdoors in the heat. Not only can it cause you to lose fluids, but “it can also impair your judgment.” When this happens, you may miss signs of heat-related illness.
This story was originally published on July 12, 2023.
