2024-07-16 16:38:36
Risk for children and the elderly
“The heat especially affects children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases. For example, a child’s body temperature can rise 3 to 5 times faster than an adult’s. It is more difficult for the body of small children to adapt to changes in temperature, so the warmed-up body cools down much more slowly, and they lose a lot of fluids and salts when they sweat,” says pharmacist T. Gečienė.
The thermoregulatory system of older people also gradually breaks down, becomes less active, moreover, they often suffer from chronic diseases and take medications that increase the risk of dehydration. It is important to pay more attention to the health of those taking sedatives, diuretics or blood pressure lowering drugs.
A load on the heart
“When it’s hot, our body tries to cool down on its own, so the blood vessels expand, the blood pressure drops, and the pulse increases. As a result of these reactions of the body, one begins to sweat more, the person may feel more weak, the hands or feet may swell”, says T. Gečienė and reveals how heat directly affects the work of the heart.
She explains that the heat can cause a lack of oxygen, and if you don’t drink enough fluids, the blood thickens, which also increases the chance of blood clots. Such blood circulation disorders are dangerous, because the formed thrombi are one of the most common causes of stroke and heart attack.
If you experience heart rhythm disturbances, severe headache or dizziness, pain in the chest area, the pharmacist advises you to go to the shade as soon as possible, drink water, and if the symptoms do not go away, consult a doctor.
How to take care of your health during the heat?
It is not uncommon for people to complain of greater apathy and fatigue when it is hot, but these sensations can occur not only because it is hot, but also because of an electrolyte imbalance and a lack of basic minerals.
“On a hot day, sweating increases, and along with it, useful trace elements – potassium, magnesium, which are important for heart activity – are removed. If there is a lack of these elements, the heart rhythm may be disturbed, fatigue starts to bother you, muscle twitching, cramps at night, heart palpitations, dizziness, nervousness increase, appetite worsens,” says T. Gečienė.
On a hot day, the pharmacist recommends avoiding liquids with caffeine, sugar and sweeteners, as they only encourage even more liquid secretion. It is best to choose still mineral water.
You should not wait until you feel thirsty, but drink liquids constantly. It is also advised to additionally use electrolyte solutions.
In order to protect yourself from overheating, intense physical activity should also be avoided during the heat, so it is better to do garden work early in the morning or in the evening, try not to overwork, work more slowly, avoid direct sunlight from 10 am to 4 pm. On hot days, if there is no necessity, you should spend less time in the car behind the wheel, because the heat can impair reaction and attentiveness.
2024-07-16 16:38:36