A record-breaking heat wave is scorching some parts of the U.S., delivering summer-like temperatures in April. Major cities like Atlanta, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Raleigh, and Washington, D.C., are expected to see temperatures upwards of 90 degrees—a rarity for this time of year.
While a heat wave may be on your radar more in deep summer, it’s a little jarring and unexpected now. As with any time of year, high temperatures can be dangerous for your health—but a heat wave in April is especially tough.
“What makes this week particularly dangerous is that it’s April,” says Christopher Bryczkowski, M.D., interim chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Bodies haven’t had time to acclimatize to the heat and that dramatically increases risk.”
You’re probably familiar on some level with ways to stay cool during a heat wave, but doctors say there’s one tip in particular to help you stay safe in extreme heat. Here’s what they recommend doing when a heat wave strikes.
Meet the experts: Christopher Bryczkowski, M.D., interim chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School; Cedric Dark, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine; Riana R Pryor, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at University at Buffalo; Mark Conroy, M.D., emergency medicine and sports medicine physician at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
The #1 tip for staying safe in extreme heat
It’s staying well hydrated. This should be done leading up to and during a heat wave, according to Mark Conroy, M.D., emergency medicine and sports medicine physician at
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. So, if you see high temperatures in the forecast ahead, start hydrating now.
Riana R Pryor, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at University at Buffalo, agrees. “Ensure you stay hydrated by drinking cool fluids,” she says. During a heat wave, you should be drinking throughout the day, according to Dr. Bryczkowski. “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink fluids, as thirst may be a sign of early dehydration,” he says. Cedric Dark, M.D., associate professor of emergency medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, agrees. “If you’re thirsty, you’re already behind the 8-ball,” he says.
Dr. Conroy points out that being well-hydrated usually involves thinking about more than water. “I strongly encourage patients to avoid alcohol as well as caffeinated drinks because they can worsen dehydration,” he says. “I also suggest a mix of water as well as sports drinks to ensure that they are actively replacing electrolytes in addition to fluids.”
Dr. Bryczkowski also recommends focusing on electrolytes in some circumstances. “If you’re sweating heavily, replenish electrolytes in the form of sports drinks or salt-containing foods, as plain water alone may not be enough,” he says.
How to know if you’re well-hydrated
While you may see recommendations to drink a certain amount of liquid each day, hydration needs vary by person and your activity level. Dr. Dark says the best way to know if you’re well-hydrated is to look at the color of your urine.
“The color of the urine has a lot to do with how concentrated it is,” he says. “The more hydrated you are, the lighter the urine should be. So, if your urine is a dark yellow, you need to drink more fluids.”
Just be aware that you can over-hydrate, Dr. Bryzczkowski warns. “Clear urine can signal over-hydration, which carries its own risk of dangerous sodium drops,” he says.
Ultimately, you’re aiming for a pale yellow color, like lemonade.
This isn’t the only thing you should do, though
Keeping cool, staying well-hydrated, and sticking to the shade is key, but doctors recommend keeping a few other things in mind.
· Pay attention to the heat index. “Heat index is a combination of temperature and humidity,” Dr. Dark explains. “As the humidity gets higher, for a given temperature, the ability of the body to cool off via sweating is diminished. When you can’t cool off, you’re more prone to dangers of heat stroke.”
· Wear loose, lightweight clothing. This helps air move through the clothes to transfer excess body heat from the person to the environment, Dr. Pryor says. As you warm up, your core body temperature rises, signaling your body to sweat, she explains. Heat is transferred away from your body to the environment when your sweat is evaporated into the air. “This is why it’s good that we sweat when it’s hot outside,” Dr. Pryor says. “If your clothing is heavy or doesn’t let air touch your skin, sweat can drip down and fall off the body, which means that you are losing water and becoming dehydrated, but you didn’t get the benefit of removing body heat.”
· Take it easy during peak heat hours. “Avoid outdoor exertion between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., during peak temperatures,” Dr. Bryczkowski says.
Dangers of extreme heat
Extreme heat can tax the body in a few ways. “When someone is hot for a prolonged period of time such as during a heat wave, the heart can become strained by needing to work hard to pump blood to their organs and muscles as usually, but also the additional load of needing blood near the skin in order to sweat and cool down,” Dr. Pryor says. “This can negatively affect cardiovascular health.”
There is a range of heat illnesses you can experience, from more mild issues like heat rash to the moderate heat exhaustion and severe heat stroke, Dr. Dark says.
But the biggest concern is heat stroke, Dr. Bryczkowski says. “When the body’s core temperature rises above 104 degrees Fahrenheit, organ failure and brain injury can occur with prolonged exposure,” he says. Older adults, people on certain medications like water pills, some blood pressure medications, and those with chronic illness including heart and kidney disease are at highest risk, he says.
Overall, “prolonged exposure to heat leads to added stress on the body which can overwhelm many body systems including our hearts, brain, and kidneys,” Dr. Conroy says.
If you develop signs of heat illness—you’re sweating heavily, you feel nauseous, or you have a headache or feel confused—doctors recommend heading indoors to a cool place immediately and making sure you’re well-hydrated. If you don’t feel better soon, it’s important to seek medical care.
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