- Record high temperatures are being reported across the U.S., including the Northeast, Midwest and Alaska.
- Heatwaves and high temperatures can pose serious health risks, and increase the number of deaths worldwide.
- Exposure to extreme heat is risky for children, the elderly, people working outdoors and those with certain health conditions.
The Northeast and the Midwest are both facing the hottest weather so far this year at the end of the week, in what the Weather Channel calls a dangerous heat wave.
The forecast is for highs in the 90s over most of the country, with some 100s in locations like Denver, New York and Philadelphia, among others. And some places will suffer high humidity along with the heat, raising the “feels-like temperature” and probably tempers, too.
The West, including Utah, is expecting some high temperatures, as well, with a couple of days relief in the yo-yo bounce that includes some 90s and even temperatures over 100. Rocky Mountain Power issued a high-energy demand warning reported by KSL, noting that temperatures are expected to reach 100 on the Wasatch Front and up to 110 in St. George by Thursday. The National Weather Service has much of the state under a “red flag” warning for fire danger at least through the weekend. KSL meteorologist Matt Johnson said windy and breezy conditions alongside the heat can whip up fire risk.
Even Alaska is experiencing unusually hot temperatures, according to USA Today, which notes recent heat advisories.
Weather is not just a numbers game, either, based on temperature gauges and humidity readings. Heat kills more people in the U.S. every year than any other weather factor. It can be lethal.
Why heat’s not so hot for health
As Deseret News has reported, pollution and humidity worsen heat. Trees help mitigate it, but in many areas, the tree canopy is shrinking. And the body tries to handle the heat, but may not be able to keep up without conscious effort. Per the article, “sweating, nature’s evaporative cooling system, fumbles when it’s humid.” Even when it’s not humid, it’s important to replace what you sweat out. But lots of people stop drinking because they don’t want to take a bathroom break when they’re out in the sun having fun. And sometimes, restrooms are not readily available.
Ignoring high temperatures is a serious health mistake. And though it’s especially risky for those who are young and those who are old, anyone can have a heat-related crisis.
As Deseret News reported, “Unusually hot temperatures are also cause for concern for athletes, for construction workers and road crews, for employees in poorly ventilated manufacturing plants, for gardeners, for unhoused people, for illicit drug users and people taking certain prescriptions, for agricultural workers, for jailed individuals, for military personnel, for firefighters and police and for low-income individuals without air conditioning, among others. And, of course, for those who care about any of them.”
It’s also bad combined with alcohol. Medication may make someone vulnerable. And so can medical conditions that interfere with sweating.
Plus, having heat sickness once makes you more vulnerable for the rest of your life, according to numerous public health sources.
The British journal The Lancet reported that in the first 20 years of the century worldwide, the largest share of weather-related deaths were from high temperatures, with an average of 489,000 each year. Just in Europe in 2022, nearly 62,000 people died.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said an average of 658 people in the U.S. died from heat each year between 1999-2009. The numbers have been far worse recently. In 2023, in the U.S. more than 2,300 death certificates listed heat, while in 2022, the number was 1,670, according to the CDC.
Per the World Health Organization, high temperatures can “exacerbate underlying illnesses including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health, asthma, and can increase the risk of accidents and transmission of some infectious diseases. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a high-case fatality rate.”
That’s all bad news. The good news is heat-related health problems are largely preventable.
Different types of heat illness
Heat rash is the most minor form of heat-related sickness, according to Cleveland Clinic’s guide to heat. The technical term for heat illness is hyperthermia. It happens when sweat gets trapped under your skin. So stay cool and dry and apply anti-itch cream if you need it.
Heat cramps are sometimes called exercise-associated muscle cramps, the clinic reports. They happen when you’re exerting in heat and sweating a lot and can affect legs, arms or elsewhere. It’s a mild form of heat-related illness, but a warning that you need to cool down or you could have real trouble.
Heat exhaustion is more moderate than heat stroke, but can advance to it quickly, which is life-threatening. If you lose too much water and/or salt, you might get heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headache.
Heat stroke is a dire emergency and a pounding heart and breathing harder may be the first signal. The condition is marked by the same symptoms as heat exhaustion, with brain dysfunction thrown in. Confusion, slurred speech and behavior changes are signs that emergency care is needed immediately.
With either heat exhaustion or heat stroke, medical attention is needed. Cleveland Clinic advises calling 911.
Staying safe when it’s sizzling
Dr. Keli Kwok, assistant medical director at Intermountain Health’s Intermountain Medical Center emergency department, told Deseret News during last summer’s heat wave that the quickest way to cool people off is to put ice packs in their armpits, on their wrists/hands and in their groin area. Blood is closer to the surface there, so the body cools faster. If someone has an altered mental state, call 911 immediately.
Better still is heading off heat’s complications.
Survival tips from the WHO, CDC, previous Deseret News reporting, the Weather Channel and other sources:
- Check on families, friends and older adults, as well as those who are frail or ill, especially if they don’t have air conditioning.
- Don’t be outside long during afternoon’s highest-heat hours.
- If you must be outside, take frequent breaks, preferably in shade, which can drop the temperature 20 degrees.
- Don’t over-exert.
- Do drink more water than usual. You have to replace the fluid you sweat out in high heat.
- Make sure your clothes are lightweight and loose so air can circulate.
- Spend two or three hours on hot days in a cool place.
- Do not swim alone, because the impact of high temperatures increases the risk of drowning.
- Monitor official heat warnings.
- Don’t use an electric fan when temperatures are above 104˚F. In that circumstance, the WHO says fans will heat the body.
- If you’re worried about your electric bill, set the thermostat to 81˚F and turn on an electric fan. It will save money and drop how hot it feels significantly, the WHO reports.
- Wet your skin and drink at least a cup or water every hour, whether you feel thirsty or not.
- NEVER leave children or animals in a hot car. When it’s 80˚F outside, a car can reach 109˚F inside within 20 minutes. It’s 123˚F after an hour.
- Don’t cover a stroller with dry fabric to provide shade. It creates its own heat dome. Use a damp, thin cloth and rewet it as it dries.
- Take cool showers or baths to cool down.
- Learn the signs of heat-related illness and seek help if you have those signs.
- Use sunscreen. Sunburn slows how fast the body can release heat.
- Don’t exercise in heat. Most people who die from heat are either overexposed or overactive.
