With summer in full swing, the dangers of heat related illnesses is very real.
That’s according to the provincial medical officer of health, Dr. Cristin Muecke.
She says at the early stages people may feel tired, have a headache, are overly sweaty and just feel generally unwell.
“Depending on the person’s vulnerabilities and the type of activity they are doing and how hot it is outside, they could eventually progress to heat stroke which is a medical emergency,” says Dr. Muecke.
Dr. Muecke says you should take precautions including drinking plenty of fluids, and avoiding strenuous activity in the hottest part of the day.
She says says some people are at higher risk than the average adult including the elderly, and the very young as well as those with chronic medical conditions like heart disease and high blood pressure.
“There are certain medications that impair the body’s ability to regulate heat and perspiration, those can include things like anti-depressants, and heart related medication,” says Dr. Muecke.
She adds as a community we should watch out for those who live alone, who have difficulty caring for themselves and who may not be able to take measures necessary to get cooler when they need to.
Dr. Muecke says the humidex is the biggest single danger indicator for suffering from heat related illnesses.
“The other things that one can look for is if there are several hot days in a row then your body is not always able to keep up, another thing you can look for is if the temperature drops at night,” says Dr. Muecke.
She says if there are continuous high temperatures all day and night, it gives your body less chance to cool down.
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