Key points from today’s guests:
Dr. Janak Patel, emergency medicine physician, The University of Kansas Health System
- In a controlled simulation on an 83-degree day, after seven minutes in a car, a person’s heart rate can double as temperatures can exceed 140 degrees.
- Leaving anyone – especially kids – in a car on a hot day can be extremely dangerous.
- If someone appears to be having a heat-related emergency, get that person out of that environment. Get them to shade or an air-conditioned area.
- Give them some water, and if they are experiencing dizziness or nausea or confusion, it is best to call 911 as it could be a sign of heat stroke.
- We see a lot of elderly patients during heat waves because their air conditioning in older homes may not be able to keep up with the intense heat.
- Look at heat illness as a spectrum. In the beginning stages, you may have very simple symptoms that we've all probably experienced, such as heat edema -- your hands start to swell up a bit -- that can progress to heat exhaustion, which has a myriad of symptoms such as nausea, headache, vomiting, feeling faint or dizzy lightheadedness. Those are really warning signs that your body's telling you that you need to do something now.
Dr. Stephen Lauer, pediatrician, The University of Kansas Health System
- With kids who are playing outside in the heat, make sure they drink plenty of water.
- Have them wear loose, light protective clothing and make sure they have access to shade.
- Pay attention to how much they are sweating. When it gets really dangerous is when we overheat and lose the ability to sweat, causing the skin to get red. That’s a dangerous situation.
- Also, there’s no safe amount of time to leave a child in the care in the middle of summer. Don’t do it.
Jessica Kalendar-Rich, geriatric medicine specialist, The University of Kansas Health System
- For older adults, their skin is thinner and they may not retain moisture as long, so hydrating is important.
- Consider drinking electrolytes to help.
- Make sure to take breaks and be aware of limitations.
- Heat can also exacerbate any other medical conditions.
- We need to check on our neighbors. We need to check on ourselves. And we need to make sure that we're doing the things that we know are the things to keep us safe -- hydration, taking breaks, finding cools spaces, and listening to our bodies.
Ashlie Christian, PharmD., pharmacist, The University of Kansas Health System
- Medications left in high temperatures at prolonged periods of time can cause them to break down or degrade and that can lead to a decrease in their effectiveness.
- This could look like a change in color, texture, consistency, or even smell with some medications.
- Make sure they are stored in a cool place or as instructed by your pharmacy or label.
- Don’t leave medications in the car.
- Some medications can make us more exposed to sun, so make sure you talk with your pharmacist.
Dr. Shannon Hoos-Thompson, cardiologist, The University of Kansas Health System
- For people with heart issues, they should be extra careful in extreme heat.
- Make sure to drink enough water and understand that your medication may make you more vulnerable to the heat.
- If you leave an air-conditioned building, be prepared for that transition to a hot environment and vice versa. Take it slow.
- If you are not feeling right, back off and finish your yard work or outside tasks another day.
- Changes in in blood pressure, heart rates, symptoms of palpitations -- those are expected responses when you've had too much heat exposure and your body's not able to adapt further.
- It's okay let somebody know you're not feeling well and that you need to recover.
Monday, July 1 at 8 a.m. is the next Morning Medical Update. Learn more about fecal transplants -- when someone else's waste becomes the treatment.
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