Heat and Health

Hi everybody. I’m Dr. Brian Evans. I’m the Chief Medical Officer here at Tahoe Forest Health System and we’re talking about heat illness today, which we worry about heat illness more now because of climate change. It is becoming more of a problem in virtually all communities. So, especially in the summertime when things are getting hot, we want to make sure people are aware of that and are taking the appropriate precautions to avoid significant problems.

You know, at its at its basic, heat illness can lead to dehydration. You can end up with heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is when folks are starting to really have heavy sweating. They might feel a little bit dizzy. They might be achy, headache, muscle cramps, some nausea, that sort of thing. Heat stroke is a more serious condition, which really should make everybody think about a 911 call immediately. And heat stroke is when folks actually start to get confused. They might lose consciousness. They might have a very high body temperature. Sometimes they lose the ability to sweat, so their skin’s more dry. Those situations are a life threatening emergency, and those patients need to come into the emergency department right away by 911. And all measures to cool them down as quickly as possible should be undertaken.

Heat illness can really affect anybody, but we always worry about the most vulnerable among us, certainly young children, older adults, people who work outside, people who do specific jobs which are at high risk like roofing, that sort of thing. We see it a lot in athletes, especially when there’s long practices and it’s just gotten a lot hotter out there, like football practice, that kind of a thing. So, look out for each other in those situations, especially during heat waves. Also mention that certain medications can make people more vulnerable to heat illness. So, think about psychiatric medications, some blood pressure medications, and also some medications that we use for Parkinson’s disease. So check with your doctor if you have any concerns about the medications you’re on and whether you should be careful or more careful during very hot days.

The best way to really prevent yourself from getting heat illness like heat exhaustion or heat stroke is to drink a lot of water. Make sure you bring a lot of water with you if you’re going to be outdoors. Wear lightweight clothing, especially stuff that breathes very easily. And try to avoid strenuous activity on a very hot day. Take plenty of breaks if you’re doing yard work or outside exercising, that kind of thing. Get indoors for the break. Get into an area where there’s air conditioning if you can. And really just kind of know your limitations and be sensitive to those. You know, summer is meant to be enjoyed. We love the summer around here in North Lake Tahoe, but we got to watch out for the heat. So, take good care of yourself, take care of each other, and come see us if you need anything. Thank you very much.