When people are exposed to extreme temperatures, they can suffer from life-threatening illnesses. These include heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Hot temperatures can also lead to heart attacks, strokes, and other types of cardiovascular disease. In the United States, heat is the leading cause of death due to weather. But we can prevent most heat-related deaths by outreach and intervention.
In the last two decades, older people’s heat-related deaths have increased by 54% due to worsening climate change, according to a new international study led by UCL researchers.
What are heat-related Deaths?
Our ability to cool off is limited. When the heat is too high, our bodies are overheated. If that happens, we will get headaches and muscle cramps, and vomit. Severe overheating, when the body temperature reaches 104°F or higher, can lead to heat strokes that can affect the kidneys, brains, and muscles.
Heat can be harmful and can induce heat-related deaths, even for people who are well. Outdoor workers, athletes, and pregnant women should be especially careful when it’s hot outside.
In the United States, extreme heat is a big public health issue. Heat events (also known as “heat waves”) are predicted to get more frequent and last longer in the future.
Who is at higher risk from high temperatures?
Heat may pose a risk to healthy people. But it is especially dangerous for people who have chronic health conditions. It could also be deadly for them. Also, decades of studies have shown that people die during heatwaves.
Many of us know someone who’s at higher risk from too much heat. Elderly—especially those with heart failure, kidney disease, and chronic lung disease—and homeless people are at high risk as temperature increases. Any person taking medicines, such as diuretics that may impair their body’s ability to sweat or hold water, may also be more vulnerable.
What can you do to Prevent Heat-related Deaths?
Everyone should take these precautions to prevent heat-related deaths during hot weather.
To prevent heat-related deaths, one should:
1. Stay cool
Wear Appropriate clothes. Choose lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes.
Stay cool indoors. Stay as long in an air-conditioned place as possible. If your home doesn’t have air conditioning, head to the shopping mall or public library. Even a few hours spent in air conditioning will help your body remain cooler. Also, you can call the local health department to see if there are any heat relief shelters in your city.
2. Keep in mind
Electric fans may offer comfort. But when the temperature is up in the 90s, they will not prevent heat-related deaths. A cold shower or bath, or visiting an air-conditioned place, is a much better way to cool down. Use less of your stove and oven to keep the temperature in your home cooler.
Schedule Outdoor Activity Carefully. Try to limit the outside activity to the coolest time, including morning and evening hours. Rest sometimes in shady places so that the body has a chance to recover.
Cut the workout. If you’re not used to working or practicing in a hot environment, move slowly and build up your pace gradually. STOP all action if heat exercise makes your heart race and leaves you gasping for air. Get in a cool spot or shade, and relax, particularly if you’re lightheaded, tired, weak, or sick.
Wear Sunscreen. Sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool down and may cause you to dehydrate. If you need to go outside, cover yourself from the heat by wearing a large hat and sunglasses. Also, apply sunscreen of SPF 15 or more 30 minutes before you leave. Continue to apply it according to the instructions for the package. Look for sunscreens that say “wide spectrum” or “UVA/UVB safety” on their labels. It is because these brands perform best.
Do Not Leave Children in Cars. Cars can easily heat up to dangerous temperatures, even though the window is cracked open. Anybody left in a parked car is at risk. But, children are particularly at risk of having a heat stroke or dying. You can keep a stuffed animal in the car seat to remind yourself that the kid is in the car. When the child is buckled in, put the stuffed animal in front of the driver. Check to make sure everybody is out of the car before you leave the car. Do not ignore any children who have fallen asleep in the car.
Avoid Hot and Heavy Meals. They’re adding heat to your body!
3. Stay hydrated
Drink a lot of fluids. Drink more fluids, no matter how active you are. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty for a drink. If your doctor restricts the amount of water you can drink or prescribes water tablets, find out how much you can drink in hot weather.
Stay away from very sugary or alcoholic beverages. They cause you to lose more body fluid. Often avoid very cold beverages because they can cause cramps in the stomach.
Remove salts and minerals. Heavy sweating extracts salt and minerals from the body that need to be replaced. A sports drink will replace the salts and minerals that you lose in your sweat. If you have a low-salt diet, diabetes, high blood pressure, or other chronic illnesses, speak to the doctor before taking a sports drink or a salt tablet.
Keep Your Pets Hydrated. Give your pets plenty of fresh water and keep the water in a shady place.
4. Stay Informed
Check for Updates. Check the local news for excessive heat alerts and safety tips. Also, read about any cooling shelters in your area.
Know the signs. Learn the signs and symptoms of heat-related diseases and how to treat them.
Use the Buddy System. When operating in the heat, check your coworkers’ condition. Heat-related illness may cause a person to lose consciousness or become confused. If you are 65 years of age or older, have a friend or family call to check you twice a day during a heatwave. If you know anyone in this age group, check them out at least twice a day.
Monitor Those at High Risk. While anyone can suffer from heat-related deaths at any moment,
Some people are at greater risk than others:
- Infants and young children
- Individuals 65 years of age and older
- People who are overweight;
- Individuals who overwork at work or exercise
- People who are physically ill, particularly with heart disease or high blood pressure
- People who take certain drugs, such as depression, Insomnia, low circulation
We can make our cities greener. The temperature difference between the hottest and coolest areas of cities can be 20°F or more. It is because of how much the urban landscape absorbs heat. Planting trees and other plants can make a major difference in reducing the heat in cities. Green space doesn’t just make us cold. It keeps us healthy, too.
We can conserve energy at home. If you’re redoing your roof, try having a green roof or using light-colored roofing material.
The Bottom Line
Check adults at risk at least twice a day and watch carefully for signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Of course, infants and small children need to be monitored much more frequently.
Know when you need to stop, says Dr. Farrell. Many of us can experience minor heat-related symptoms and think that we can push through. But we need to listen to our bodies and be alert to those around us, particularly children and elderly adults. It is so that we can easily spot the warning signs and take the right steps to Prevent Heat-related Deaths.
