Medical Minutes: Importance of heat illness awareness
Andrea Turisk
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) – Yuma’s intense heat can be more than just uncomfortable. It can be life threatening and with temperatures soaring well over 100 degrees, heat related illnesses are a serious concern.
Dr. Donald Hubbard, medical director and emergency medicine physician at Exceptional Community Hospital Yuma, helps us recognize the signs of heat related illnesses and understand what to do in an emergency.
“You have to be aware, especially when you’re working in the heat, and especially if you’re not used to it. One of the things is you need to drink plenty of fluids. Water is certainly an acceptable, acceptable fluid. You should probably drink 8 ounces about every 20 minutes if you’re working out in the heat,” he said.
Dr. Hubbard says there are signs to look out for when it comes to heat related illness.
“Heat illness is just if you start to get very just tired, fatigued, no energy, that’s a sign that you’re not hydrated enough. It’s also a sign that your body temperature may be going up. That would be the first sign that you probably need to cool off and, and drink some fluids,” he explained.
Hubbard says there comes a point where symptoms could turn into hospital visit.
“At any point that you feel like you need to be seen, you probably need to be seen. But if you’re not sweating, if you are thirsty, and you’re drinking water and it’s not helping, if your heart rate is elevated, those are definitely signs that you probably need to be seen,” Hubbard remarked.