With the hot summer days just around the corner, many are gearing up for long-delayed yard projects, time on Cheat Lake, or escaping to the beach for a week.
But, it’s important to take precautions when outside, especially when the mercury starts climbing past 80 degrees, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.
Owen Lander, an emergency room doctor at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital, said it’s important for people to be conscious of the sun’s strength especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
“Take breaks and go to a climate-controlled area,” Lander said.
Another protective measure a person can take is drink water, or non-alcoholic fluids. People tend to sweat off a half liter of fluid every 30 minutes during hot summer days. The CDC said other ways to prevent a heat-related illness include doing strenuous activities during the cooler part of the day and wearing light colored, loose-fitting clothing.
“Drink lots of water,” said Chris Edwards, director of the Emergency Department at Mon Health Medical
Center.
But also remember to drink beverages with electrolytes, too. This can be Gatorade, a fruit drink or smoothie, or even dairy. Electrolytes are chemicals in the body that keep blood pressure in check, help rebuild tissue and regulate blood acidity. Too much water can flush the body of electrolytes and lead to muscle weakness and possibly death if levels drop too quickly.
“Gatorade was invented by the University of Florida to deal with heat cramps,” said Lee Smith, executive director of the Monongalia County Health Department.
Also use sunscreen with an SPF — sun protection factor — of 30 or more. SPF and the number behind it is an indication of how long the lotion will protect you before another application is needed.
“Respect the heat,” Lander said.
Heat-related illnesses
The CDC said a heat-related illness, also called hyperthermia, comes from exposure to extreme heat for a prolonged period of time. The body is not able to cool itself through the evaporation of sweat as it normally does.
When sweat cannot be released, the body temperature rises putting a person, especially the young and elderly, at risk. People are especially at risk when the heat index, a combination of the temperature and humidity levels, begins to climb. When humidity levels are high, a person whose normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees, has difficulty sweating and the body overheats.
“Ninety degrees and 90% humidity is a danger zone.” Smith said. “The body thinks it is 122 degrees.”
High body temperatures can cause damage to vital organs and cause confusion, Smith said. And in severe cases, high body temperatures can lead to multiple organ failure and possibly death.
“The body is basically cooking the person,” Smith said. More than 80% of heat strokes can come on quickly, he added.
Other signs of a heat stroke include a body temperature greater than 103 degrees; red, hot and dry skin with no sweating; a rapid and strong pulse; a headache, dizziness, nausea and in some cases unconsciousness.
Heat exhaustion symptoms include muscle cramping, fatigue, headache, nausea or vomiting, plus dizziness or fainting.
“If a person develops symptoms of heat exhaustion they should move to a cool place,” Edwards said. “Use cool, wet towels or a cool bath. Sip water. If a person develops vomiting or worsening symptoms, they should get to the closest emergency department.”
Who is susceptible?
Statistics from the CDC show men — across all age ranges — are more likely than females to suffer a heat-related illness, or possibly die from a heat illness. The majority of heat-related deaths in the United States take place between May and September, traditionally the hottest months of the year. The deaths also tended to occur in urban areas because concrete retains heat.
“It’s like living in an oven,” Smith said.
Trends show between 1999 and 2010, approximately 8,000 people died because of the heat and more than 70% of those deaths were from exposure to excessive heat. Three states — Arizona, Texas and California — accounted for more than 40% of those deaths, the CDC said.
Children and the elderly are more at risk for a heat-related illness, Smith said.
The elderly are at risk because there may be some underlying health condition. Or, they can be on a medication for an illness like high blood pressure. That medication works several ways; either removing extra fluid and salt from the body or slowing down the heart rate and widening the blood vessels.
“When it’s hot, the heart works harder,” Lander said. “You need to sweat.”
Children, especially those four and younger, are at risk for a heat-related illness because their bodies produce heat quicker and they don’t sweat as much.
Also when it is humid, what sweat they have does not evaporate as fast and could result in prickly heat. This rash, which looks like little red dots, happens when sweat gets trapped in the skin. It can be itchy, but usually goes away on its own.
When in the sun, a good rule of thumb to remember is if your shadow is shorter than you are, go find some shade, doctors said.
Too much sun and skin cancer
Skin cancer is the most common kind of cancer in the United States, affecting one out of every five people, the CDC said. And one of the leading causes of the disease is too much of the sun’s ultraviolent rays, or spending too much time in a tanning bed, which also uses UV rays, said Erica Ghareeb, a dermatologist with WVU Medicine.
The American Academy of Dermatology said one in three adults gets a sunburn. And skin cancer can develop on areas most often exposed to the sun.
There are three main types of skin cancer — basal, squamous cell and melanoma, the American Cancer Society said. Both basal and squamous cell are common and very treatable.
Melanoma, however, is not as common and is more likely to grow. Survival rates at 5 years for people with melanoma that has spread to the nearby lymph nodes is 65%. Melanoma in white women younger than 44 has increased by more than 6% annually, which could reflect indoor tanning trends, the AAD said.
Ghareeb said skin cancer tends to appear on areas exposed to the sun such as the face, hands, scalp and arms. Melanoma, however, can appear in areas covered by clothing and even in odd places such as under the fingernails.
The way to tell whether a skin growth could be cancer is to remember the ABCs of skin cancer, Ghareeb said. They are:
A for asymmetrical. Does the growth have an irregular shape with two parts that look different?
B is for border. Is that border irregular or jagged?
C is for color. Is the color uneven?
D is for diameter. Is the spot larger than the size of a pea?
E is for evolving. Has the mole or the spot changed?
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