{"id":2711,"date":"2023-06-25T14:00:05","date_gmt":"2023-06-25T19:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=2711"},"modified":"2023-06-25T10:05:23","modified_gmt":"2023-06-25T15:05:23","slug":"how-extreme-heat-can-kill-and-how-you-can-stay-safe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/?p=2711","title":{"rendered":"How Extreme Heat Can Kill and How You Can Stay Safe"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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How Extreme Heat Can Kill and How You Can Stay Safe<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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High temperatures are not just uncomfortable, they are bad for your health \u2013 and can even be deadly. <\/b><\/i><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Of all the natural disasters, extreme heat is the No. 1 killer, studies show, killing more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined.

\n\n\u201cWhat is most problematic about heat is that this is a sneaky climate issue because it kills many people, but it is not impressive like a hurricane or something. It\u2019s just happening all the time, so it is sneaky,\u201d said environmental epidemiologist Tarik Benmarhnia of the University of California, San Diego.

\n\nThere\u2019s been a 74% increase in deaths related to heat since 1980, a 2021 study found. With the ongoing climate crisis, high temperatures are expected to get worse, and heat waves will last longer, affecting parts of the country that aren\u2019t used to them.

\n\nMost heat-related deaths and health problems are avoidable. Three of the most common conditions to watch out for are dehydration, heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

\nDehydration <\/b>

\n\nYour body needs water and other fluids to function. When you lose more fluid than you take in, you get dehydrated.

\n\nMild or moderate dehydration is manageable by drinking more fluids, but severe dehydration needs medical attention.

\n\nThe problem is that your body doesn\u2019t always let you know early enough that you need more water. By the time you feel thirsty, you\u2019re behind on your fluid replacement. Older people often don\u2019t feel thirsty until they are actually dehydrated.

\nExperts say that when you have to be out in the heat, it\u2019s important to drink fluids even before you head out, or else you may not be able to catch up on what your body needs.

\n\nWhile you\u2019re outside, particularly if working or exercising in the heat, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends drinking a cup of water (8 ounces) at least every 15 to 20 minutes. But don\u2019t drink more than 48 ounces per hour, which can lower your sodium levels too much, causing confusion and other health problems.

\n\nYou also want to stay hydrated after coming inside from the heat, drinking enough fluids to replace what you\u2019ve lost through sweat.

\n\nChronic dehydration can raise your risk for kidney stones and urinary tract infections, as well as longer-term problems.

\nHeatstroke<\/b>

\n\nThe \u201cmost worrisome consequence\u201d of high heat is heatstroke, said Dr. Scott Dresden, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Northwestern University.

\n\nWith heatstroke, the body can\u2019t cool itself and regulate its temperature.

\n\nIn normal temperatures, your body loses water through sweating, breathing and going to the bathroom. But when humidity rises above 75%, sweating becomes ineffective. Our bodies can let off heat only when the outside temperature is lower than our internal body temperature, usually around 98.6 degrees.

\n\nIf the body\u2019s temperature rises quickly, its natural cooling mechanism \u2013 sweat \u2013 fails. A person\u2019s temperature can rise to a dangerous 106 degrees or higher within just 10 or 15 minutes. This can lead to disability or even death.

\n\nOlder adults, people taking certain medications like beta blockers and antidepressants, and kids can all have a harder time with heat regulation. Alcohol can also make it hard for the body to regulate its temperature, as can being dehydrated or being overdressed for the heat.

\nIf you notice that someone is confused, has a flush to their skin, seems to be breathing quickly or complains of a headache, move to the shade or into air-conditioning. Cool them with cool water, icepacks or wet towels around their neck, head, armpits and groin. And get medical help as soon as possible.

\n\nA person who has heatstroke may sweat profusely or not at all. They can become confused or pass out, and they could have a seizure. Left untreated, heatstroke can quickly damage the brain. It can cause the heart to beat dangerously fast and the body to shut down.

\n\nYou can lower your chance of heatstroke by wearing loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. Wear sunscreen, too: People who are sunburned have less of an ability to regulate their body temperature. Drink lots of water. Try to avoid working outside or exercising during the hottest parts of the day. Let yourself acclimate to high temperatures before you start running marathons or doing any other extreme outdoor exercise.

\nHeat exhaustion<\/b>

\n\nHeat exhaustion happens when the body loses too much water or salt through excessive sweating. Typically, this can happen when you\u2019re exposed to high temperatures combined with high humidity or if you are involved in strenuous physical activity, like running or playing football.

\n\nHeat-related illness is the leading cause of death and disability among US high school athletes, according to the CDC. But it can be a problem for anyone taking part in everyday activities like mowing the lawn or going for a walk.

\n\nSigns of heat exhaustion can include cool or moist skin with goosebumps, heavy sweating, feeling faint or tired, an unusual heart rate, muscle cramps, a headache or nausea.

\n\nIf you think you or someone else has heat exhaustion, get some rest in the shade or in the air-conditioning. Drink cool water. If symptoms don\u2019t improve, get medical attention.

\n\nAt that point, the treatment isn\u2019t all that pleasant. \u201cWe typically use ice baths in our emergency room,\u201d Dresden said. \u201cWe\u2019ll do cold-water immersion.\u201d

\n\nIf that isn\u2019t available, a hospital may try wet sheets and a large fan.

\nHow to stay healthy in the heat<\/b>

\n\nExtreme high temperatures can be linked to at least 17 causes of death, most of them related to heart and breathing issues but also including suicide, drowning and homicide.

\n\nStudies have shown that exposure to extreme heat can contribute to mental health issues, problems for pregnant women and poor birth outcomes.

\n\nEven if you aren\u2019t working or exercising outdoors, be careful in extreme temperatures.

\n\nDr. Stephanie Lareau, an emergency room physician in Rocky Mount, Virginia, said it\u2019s important to keep an eye not just on the temperature but on the heat index. That takes into account humidity, and that can matter more for heat-related illness.

\n\nWhen planning activities, try to keep them out of the heat, especially if you\u2019ve got young kids or the elderly in your social circle, since they don\u2019t handle the heat as well.

\n\n\u201cMake sure everyone is drinking plenty of fluids,\u201d Lareau said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to take in copious amounts of water, but drink a little bit before you\u2019re thirsty \u2013 and especially when you are thirsty. Those things are really important. Heat illnesses are totally avoidable with the right approach.\u201d


\nContributor: Jen Christensen, CNN Health<\/i>\n\/p>\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

How Extreme Heat Can Kill and How You Can Stay Safe High temperatures are not just uncomfortable, they are bad for your health \u2013 and can even be deadly. Of all the natural disasters, extreme heat is the No. 1 killer, studies show, killing more people than hurricanes and tornadoes combined. \u201cWhat is most problematic […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2711","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","category-lifestyle","category-news-and-information"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2711","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2711"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2715,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2711\/revisions\/2715"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/claremontcoloniccenter.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}