It’s Getting Hot Out There
Hassen Borhot says people should understand the signs of heat exhaustion and the much more serious heat stroke.
Hassen Borhot called it “a modified spring.”
Coming off a harsher winter than usual, thius past spring featured cool days and plenty of rain. “So now we’re starting to experience the summer weather — the warm weather — and people are venturing outdoors and doing more outdoor activities, as expected. And what I tell my patients is, just use common sense.”
Indeed, each season has its own health and safety hazards, but especially the extremes of winter and summer. And as typically hot days settle on the region — several in the past month have hit the mid-90s — with that weather comes a host of concerns, from sunburn and heat stroke to water hazards and ticks.
Yes, ticks — which can be more dangerous than many people realize.
“With outdoor activities, you’re going to want to really pay particular attention, especially if you’re in wooded areas or live in a rural area, to watching out for ticks — because ticks are very active right now,” said Borhot, a primary care nurse practitioner with Personal Primary Care in Springfield.
He explained there are typically four tick-borne illnesses common to the Northeast, not just the one most people are aware of, Lyme disease; the others are anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, and babesiosis.
“So when you’re outdoors, keep assessing and surveying your skin for any sort of ticks that may be embedded, or if you have pets or animals, monitor them as well. If they’ve been outdoors all day and come in for the night, make sure you check their bodies as well for ticks. You can spray for ticks in terms of using insect repellents, or just wear long clothing if you’re going to be outdoors near wooded areas or long grass.”
Common sense should also to apply to recreational water safety, Borhot added. “Never swim alone, and never swim while you’re intoxicated or drinking alcohol because of drowning risk. And bike safety, scooters, things like that — obviously helmets, knee guards, shin guards, and elbow guards are going to be really important as well. Again, it’s just common sense. And if you’re going to be out in the sun, use that SPF 30 sunscreen.”
According to a recent study commissioned by ISDIN and conducted by Talker Research, 29% of Americans think wearing SPF on a daily basis seems unnecessary. As reported in the New York Post, the poll of 2,000 U.S. adults revealed 53% frequently forget to put on sunscreen daily, and only 10% said they put on SPF products daily.
While many people initially put on sunscreen, 58% say they frequently forget to reapply it. They’re most likely to put on sunscreen during the summer (67%), but 73% admitted they could do better to protect their skin from sun damage year-round.
“Wearing daily sunscreen is one of the most powerful tools we have in skincare, yet it’s often the step people skip,” said Alain Vallejos, head of Marketing at ISDIN.
“People love their iced coffees, but caffeine is actually a diuretic; it can cause some dehydration issues, especially if it’s really hot or humid, if you’re going to be sweating a lot.”
Typically, Borhot said, the sun peaks anywhere from 10 in the morning to 3 or 4 in the afternoon.
“That’s when the UV index is at the highest. So those are some times you want to be smart about your sun exposure — wearing light clothing, light-colored clothing, and hydrating,” he said. “People love their iced coffees, but caffeine is actually a diuretic; it can cause some dehydration issues, especially if it’s really hot or humid, if you’re going to be sweating a lot. So be careful with caffeine, making sure you’re supplementing it with water or electrolyte-based solutions to avoid dehydration.”
Meanwhile, he added, “people, especially patients who have respiratory ailments — asthma or COPD, things like that — should avoid poor air quality conditions.”
The Heat Is On
Extreme heat affects the body’s ability to safely regulate its temperature, often resulting in heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or heat cramps. Sweating is the body’s natural defense to cooling itself, but when humidity is high, sweat does not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly and resulting in a rapid rise of body temperature.
“Stay well-hydrated, avoid strenuous activity during peak heat hours, wear lightweight clothing, and never ignore the warning signs — dizziness, confusion, and nausea mean it’s time to cool down immediately,” said Dr. Seth Gemme, chair of Emergency Medicine and interim adviser to the chief physician executive at Baystate Health. “When it comes to heat-related illness, prevention is your most powerful tool.”
Gemme shared the following tips for keeping cool and managing the heat:
• Avoid direct sunlight and strenuous activity outdoors. If possible, remain indoors. If you do not have air conditioning, consider visiting a location that does, such as the mall or a movie theater.
• Stay hydrated. Begin drinking before you go outside and, if exercising, drink one quart of liquid an hour to replace lost fluid. Avoid caffeinated beverages and alcohol, and if taking water pills or on a fluid-restrictive diet, consult with a physician before increasing liquid intake.
• Never leave a child or pet in an unattended vehicle in the heat. This can lead to serious and severe health consequences, including heat stroke, brain damage, and even death. Children’s and pets’ body temperatures rise much more quickly than adults, making them particularly vulnerable. Even on relatively mild heat days, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to dangerous levels. Cracking windows provides little protection.
• Dress for the weather. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing and a broad-brimmed hat when outdoors. Also, consider wearing sunglasses and applying sunscreen with an SPF 15 or greater.
• Postpone athletic activity or outdoor work during high heat and humidity. Limit outdoor activities to the morning and evening. Drinking sports beverages can replace lost salt and minerals when sweating. However, those on low-salt diets should check with their doctor before drinking sports beverages. Those who work outdoors, in addition to drinking plenty of liquids and dressing appropriately, should pace themselves and take frequent short breaks in the shade.
• Instead of the usual rule of eating three square meals a day, eat smaller meals more frequently on days when the sun turns up the heat. Also, avoid high-protein foods, which can increase metabolic heat.
• Check in on others regularly, especially elderly relatives and neighbors who are most at risk for heat-related illnesses, to make sure they are healthy and safe throughout each high-temperature day.
“Listen to your body for warning signs, especially in extreme heat and humidity and when the air quality is poor,” Borhot added. “If you start to feel shaking, sweating, or headaches, these are all signs that you should go indoors into the coolness.”
DR. SETH GEMME
“Stay well-hydrated, avoid strenuous activity during peak heat hours, wear lightweight clothing, and never ignore the warning signs — dizziness, confusion, and nausea mean it’s time to cool down immediately.”
There’s a big difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, he added.
“When you develop heat stroke, that’s bad news. That’s when you start to experience delirium, altered levels of consciousness, high fevers, things like that. Those are really late signs. And if you’ve progressed to that part where you develop heat stroke, then you’re in big trouble. You should be in an ER, under a cooling blanket, getting hydrated.”
As for symptoms of heat exhaustion, there are plenty of warning signs to note, he added — excessive sweating, headaches, muscle cramps, and fatigue are all early indications that should not be ignored.
“So you should get into a cool area, get some hydration and some fluids, and you may want to shed some layers of clothing, things like that. But once you progress into heat stroke, it’s really a serious, life-threatening medical emergency.”
Knowledge Is Power
Borhot is no stranger to sharing seasonal safety advice with families.
“Here in the primary care setting, we have become jacks of all trades. We’ve become very well-rounded in terms of managing a lot of different things,” he said, adding that patients arrive with more information as well.
“I think we’re very well-informed consumers. With ChatGPT and the internet and AI, I think we’ve become a lot more self-aware, but we also always can use that little nudge, that little extra reminder, when it comes to these safety tips.”
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