ER Physician Offers Tips to Avoid Heat-related Emergencies

WARE — Periods of extremely hot weather can cause serious health problems for everyone. According to the U.S. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, every summer, more than 6,000 Americans are hospitalized for heat exposure.

According to Dr. Roger Lafleur, emergency room physician at Baystate Mary Lane Hospital, heat-related illnesses are preventable. It is important to know who is at risk and what actions can be taken to avoid a heat-related illness.

“There are several factors that affect the body’s ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. Health conditions including heart disease, poor circulation, fever, dehydration, sunburn, mental illness, and prescription drug and alcohol use can increase your susceptibility to a heat-related illness,” noted Lafleur. “With several more hot summer days ahead, summertime activity, whether on the playing field or the work site, needs to be balanced with measures that aid the body’s cooling mechanisms and prevent heat-related illness.”

Lafleur offered the following tips to help avoid heat-related problems:

Slow down. Whenever possible, avoid strenuous activities, or try to plan activities for the coolest time of the day. Consider working in the early morning hours or later in the evening, after 7 p.m. If you must be physically active, rest frequently in the shade.

Use a buddy system. If you are working in the heat, check on co-workers, and have someone else do the same for you. At home, check on neighbors and family members who are 65 and older, or those that have a chronic health problem, even if they have air conditioning.

Drink plenty of fluids. Drink plenty of water regularly and often, even when not thirsty. During heavy exercise in a hot environment, drink two to four glasses of cool fluids each hour. Avoid drinks with alcohol or caffeine.

Monitor children carefully. Children love to play outside, but they may lack the judgment to limit exertion during hot weather and rehydrate after long periods of time in the heat. Adult supervision and plenty of fluids should be readily available.

Take care when pregnant. Moms-to-be also need to take extra care since they’re cooling for two. Besides the discomfort, pregnant women are at increased risk for heat-related illnesses and even early labor. Dehydration in pregnant women is dangerous and can increase the risk for premature contractions which could cause early labor, posing a risk to the baby’s well-being.

Dress for the weather. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. When spending time outdoors, avoid direct sunlight, and use sun protection factor (SPF) greater than 15 to protect yourself against sunburn. Wear a wide-brimmed hat if you must be out in the sun.

Eat small meals, and eat more often. Avoid foods that are high in protein, which increases metabolic heat. Consider the fresh food choices available in the summer weather, like fruits and vegetables grown in home gardens or nearby farms.

Heat exhaustion can develop rapidly into heat stroke, a potentially life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical attention. Heat stroke, like heat exhaustion, is a product of prolonged exposure to high temperatures, restricted fluid intake, or the failure of your body’s temperature regulation mechanisms.

If a person is experiencing severe signs of exhaustion, including heavy sweating, paleness, muscle cramps, weakness, tiredness, dizziness, headaches, nausea, vomiting. or fainting, it is important to move them to a cooler environment and reduce body temperature with ice or cool water, and call for emergency medical assistance or get the person to a hospital immediately.