The current summer heat has made most of the Bay Area dangerous to traverse, as the intense sunlight scorches the outdoors and fills it with dry air. Are there things we can do to beat the heat? While we cannot change the weather ourselves, we can at least change how we act in order to be more prepared for when the sweltering heat gets to us.
East Bay physician Marc Andrews began his career in health care inspired by his numerous prior summertime experiences, most notably during a job lifeguarding at a local community pool in Walnut Creek. He later became an emergency physician, and he has grown to act as the current chief of emergency medicine for Kaiser Permanente’s San Leandro and Fremont branches within the past 20 years.
“For six summers I taught swimming lessons and was a lifeguard,” Andrews says as he reminisces on his career. “I have several distinct memories of responding to heat emergencies during that time, which had a lasting impression upon me. I continue to reflect upon these experiences in my current role as an emergency physician.”
Andrews has witnessed firsthand that the summer heat’s effects on people can fluctuate between mild exhaustion to life-threatening emergencies in a matter of hours. Hot weather has been shown to add to stress towards the heart, kidneys and brain, affecting children and older adults even more so due to their built-in cooling systems being less effective. Sweating, thirst and circulation slow down for people the more they age or take common medications, and children generally sweat less and absorb heat faster.
According to Andrews, heat deaths usually occur indoors, which becomes especially dangerous for adults who live alone since homes can remain hot long after sunset.
In order to avoid summer heat symptoms, Andrews advises to take note of whenever you start to feel withdrawn, confused, less active or “not like yourself” throughout the day, since that change in behavior might potentially lead to a medical emergency through heat exhaustion.
He also recommends checking the weather forecast before committing to events that fall on days of intense heat. Should an event fall on a hot day, avoid exposing yourself to direct sunlight between 10am and 7pm, or simply reschedule outdoor activities.
A HeatRisk map can be used by entering a zip code and checking a color-coded weeklong forecast for that area. One can be accessed at ephtracking.cdc.gov/Applications/HeatRisk/.
Checking in on older neighbors and relatives at least twice a day is recommended around the summertime too. Programs and landlines are also available to provide such support as well. If house temperatures ever get above 99 degrees, electric fans alone might not be enough, so getting to a place with more air conditioning, like a public library, cooling center or indoor mall, could be ideal, especially for older adults.
If someone is experiencing confusion, fainting, having a seizure or has hot dry skin, those could be potential symptoms of heat stroke. Cooling the person immediately with cold water or ice to the neck, armpits and groin helps relieve them faster. Call 911 if these remedies cannot be provided in time, or if symptoms worsen. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has helpful resources available for people who want to learn more about how to stay safe during a heat wave at: cdc.gov/heat-health.
“Heat illness is almost entirely preventable,” Andrews states. “It’s important to plan your day around it, so stay hydrated even when you’re not thirsty, and try to get somewhere that has air-conditioning if your home stays hot.”
