LIMA, OH (WLIO) - The summer is a great time to travel, but during this heat wave, a local doctor says you need to take precautions to make sure that one of your trips is not to the ER.
The most common heat-related illness that emergency rooms like Lima Memorial see during high temperatures like this week is dehydration. People could experience headaches, nausea, dizziness, and cramping if they are dehydrated. However, some people could experience worse health conditions with prolonged exposure to the heat.
"The next most common thing we see, but which isn't very common but we do see sometimes, is heat exhaustion. Which is when the core temperature starts to rise. Normal temperature is 98.6, but if you are out in the heat for too long, it can rise. If it is below 104 degrees Fahrenheit, we consider that heat exhaustion. The symptoms are very similar [to dehydration] just more severe. And the more severe heat illness that we see is heat stroke. And that is when the core temperature is 104 degrees or higher," says Dr. Russell Maxon, ER physician at Lima Memorial Health System.
The best way to prevent heat-related illnesses is to limit your exposure outside. But if you must work or are just out in the heat, make sure you drink plenty of water.
"The CDC recommends that if you are working in the heat, exercising in the heat, or just going to be in the heat for prolonged amounts of time to drink one cup or 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes or so, but to not drink more than one and half quarts per day," adds Dr. Mixon.
Dr. Maxon also suggests checking on elderly friends, family, or neighbors who could have more severe effects from the heat.
