Tag Archive for: heat

Beating the Heat

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Climate change is real, and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s man-made or a natural progression of the planet. At least for the foreseeable future, temperatures are rising, droughts are more common, and the storms are more severe. We will most likely see excessive temperatures for days, even weeks at a time. While everyone is at risk, especially those who work in the heat and humidity, children and those 65 and older are more at risk because one of their cooling mechanisms is not working effectively. Today we’ll look at signs and symptoms of heat stress as well as solutions.

Heat Stress in Infants and Children

These signs and symptoms may not all happen within the same child at the same time, but if you see more than one of these symptoms, it may be related to heat rather than fatigue or a possible infection.

Elevated temperature, usually between 100˚ and 104˚F

I don’t think I would have thought to check their internal body temperature to see if the internal cooling mechanisms were working, especially if they were experiencing the next couple of signs and symptoms.

Cool, clammy skin and goose bumps

Those seem more related to being too cool rather than too hot, so checking the internal temperature is a good idea.

Irritability

There can be other reasons such as teething, lack of sleep, or hunger, but this may be an important sign for little ones who can’t communicate well.

More serious signs and symptoms

  • Fainting, dizziness, or weakness
  • Headache
  • Increased sweating
  • Increased thirst
  • Muscle cramps
  • Nausea and/or vomiting

It may be difficult for babies and children who are just learning to talk to communicate a headache or muscle cramps, but I think we would all recognize that fainting, dizziness, and weakness—or vomiting for sure—means something is not quite right.

Heat Stress in Older Adults

Those who are older, generally 60 and up, have some similar symptoms as the young. While infants and toddlers may not be able to communicate effectively because they haven’t learned how to talk yet, those who are older tend to ignore symptoms that may be related to heat stress.

One of my favorite quotes from my father-in-law was his answer whenever I was trying to determine whether he might be having a cardiovascular event such as a heart attack: “Dad, do you have any chest pain?” And his classic response was, “Not too much.” With that stoicism in mind, here are the signs and symptoms of heat stress in older people.

Heavy sweating

If they are fortunate to still have a sweat cooling system, you may notice an unusual amount of sweat.

Cold, pale, and clammy skin

If the internal cooling system isn’t working well, you’ll see this symptom.

Fast, weak pulse

Elevated heart rate may go along with cold and clammy skin because the heart is working harder to pump blood to the skin for cooling.

Other symptoms

  • Muscle cramps
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Tiredness or weakness
  • Dizziness
  • Headache
  • Fainting

As you can see, there are many similarities in symptoms between the young and the old. The difference in what causes the symptoms is that the children’s systems are developing while the adults’ systems are degenerating.

Heat Action Plan for People at Risk

In the research, the most common recommendations are to stay in the air-conditioned indoors if possible. If that’s not possible, still stay indoors, preferably with fans; if the air is off at home, take a trip to the mall, the movie theater, the library, or another place where you can stay cool for a while. Another recommendation is to drink liquids; mostly water but depending on sweating, a sports drink has electrolytes that can replace those lost while sweating. Too much plain water can dilute electrolyte balance and cause hyponatremia, the lack of sodium in the body.

If you don’t have to go outdoors, don’t. If it can’t be avoided, go outside in the early mornings or the evenings. From the Midwest to the East Coast, we also must deal with poor air quality due to the fires in upper Canada. Again, staying indoors and out of the sun is a great prevention strategy.

Finally, observation is critical for both children and older adults. As a grandparent, I know it’s nice when the kids are outside and the house is quiet; but some children are not old enough to tell you what’s wrong or just don’t know that what they’re feeling isn’t normal, so it’s critical to observe them. That also applies to the older adults in your life; check in with them frequently to make sure they’re doing okay.

The Bottom Line

What happens if you suspect heat stress? Check the symptoms. Try cool baths or showers, and wear as few clothes as is realistic. Drink cold fluids and use ice compresses. Get the kids to sit in the shade and eat a popsicle, thus attacking the problem in two ways.

But if you get as far as the symptoms of dizziness, weakness, or fainting, it may be time for a visit to the ER, especially if there are other health challenges. We can deal with the heat if we just play it smart and look out for each other.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.html

No Sweat!

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I don’t know exactly when it happened—suddenly I don’t seem to sweat. Disappointing, because it was something that I looked forward to, believe it or not. To me it symbolized getting a good workout, whether during exercise or working in the yard, but it stopped as I approached 70. That means one of my cooling mechanisms isn’t working well during exertion. It also seems to happen in the heat, and it’s not uncommon in people past middle age. How about you? Have you noticed any changes?

I’m not alone. There’s another at-risk group: babies and children, especially during the kind of heat we’re facing in many areas of the country. The question is why are these two groups more at risk than others? There’s little to no research on the heat response in the young and the old with one exception: during exercise. Other than that, it’s a topic that doesn’t seem to attract much attention.

Research has found that the cause relates to the lack of development and aging. The very young haven’t yet developed their skin’s sweating mechanism, but it improves as they continue to develop.

The problem as we age is that our skin declines, along with other physiological mechanisms. Our skin loses sweat glands, our heart doesn’t pump as much blood, and it goes downhill from there.

What can we do about it? More important, what are the signs and symptoms of heat stress? I’ll cover that on Saturday.

With Paula’s knee surgery on Thursday, we’ve delayed the Insider conference call until July 26. You still have time to become an Insider before then.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

References:
1. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2018 Oct;118(10):2233-2240.
2. J Athl Train. 2021 Aug; 56(8): 801–802.

Citric Acid: Stone Killer?

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Increasing fluid intake can reduce the risk of developing stones of all types: kidney stones, gall stones, bladder stones, or uric acid crystals. But there’s one more thing you could do to reduce the risk—add some citric acid to the fluids you drink. While the research on using a form of pharmaceutical is not clear yet, this is one thing we can do with diet.

We expect electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium in sport drinks, but adding citric acid can help your blood’s pH as well as reduce the formation of stones. The simplest approach would be to drink limeade or lemonade; fresh squeezed or a manufactured drink, citric acid makes the drink tart and sour. The food with the highest amount of citric acid is lime, with lemon a close second. I typically use sugar-free lemonade and add the juice from one lime in a 16-ounce container. It’s very tart but not inedible.

Avoid the mentality of “if some is good, more must be better.” Research hasn’t shown that to be true, so let’s stick to what we know. And while citric acid is a weak acid, it may still give you an upset stomach if you have too much. One lime or lemon per day seems to reduce stone formation.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Reference: Korean J Urol. 2014 Dec; 55(12): 775–779.

Don’t Forget Fluids

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With the unseasonably warm weather many of us are experiencing, I thought it was time to remind you that it’s not all about water: the emphasis should be on fluids. Coffee, tea, milk, soda, sports drinks, soup—all of those count toward your daily fluid intake.

It’s true that some drinks are better than others. Sugary drinks take extra fluid to keep your blood osmotically balanced or to store the sugar as glycogen, but all drinks count as fluid. The only drinks that don’t count are alcoholic drinks because alcohol is a diuretic; caffeine isn’t a true diuretic, so worry about the caffeine only as it affects your sleep. But the rest? All good. Don’t forget that most vegetables and fruit are mostly water, so they count as fluid as well.

How much fluid do you need? One-half your body weight in ounces (if you weigh 200 pounds, make sure you’re getting at least 100 ounces of water every day), and more if you’re in the humid heat.

There’s one more thing you could add; I’ll let you know what on Saturday.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

How to Exercise in the Heat

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When the temperature rises, with or without humidity, and you have to get that workout done outdoors, the solution is high-intensity interval training, but only if you’ve been cleared by your physician and cardiologist for intense exercise. Walking, running, swimming, or biking, intervals can help you get an intense workout in a short time. That’s the approach I used in Austin, and you can, too.

The location where I stayed in Austin was on a very hilly road—more mountain than hill. I have nothing like that kind of hill anywhere near my neighborhood. The approach was . . .

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Exercise and the Heat

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How do you know if you should exercise outdoors during the day in the heat and humidity we’re having this summer? I’ll make it simple for you: don’t.

Unless you can exercise in the morning before the sun rises, stay indoors. When I ran in Austin this past weekend, it was before the sun came up and the day was overcast to begin. It was in the 70s but not hot.

Our cooling mechanism is the problem when exercising in the high heat and humidity. If the outside temperature, combined with the humidity, is too high, your . . .

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Heat, Water, and Sports Drinks

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While I was in Austin doing a seminar this past weekend, I posted a thought on Facebook about drinking fluids when it’s hot. And it was hot in Austin; the temperature topped out at 100 degrees. It’s also been hot in Grand Rapids with temperatures hitting the 90s with some humidity to make it even worse. If you’re going to work outside in that type of heat and humidity, you have to drink fluids.

Water is important but when you sweat, you lose sodium and potassium as well. You should alternate four ounces of water with four . . .

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If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.