Rising temperatures: How to avoid heat-related illnesses and deaths

In Boston, we believe warmer is better. Our cravings for warmth are formed in the cold, dark winter nights when the prospect of summer seems impossibly remote. But with July temperatures reaching near 100° F, our winter dreams are becoming a summertime nightmare. Dangerous heat exposures in Boston and other cities across the US aren’t felt equally. Urban areas with less green space and more pavement can be up to 15 degrees hotter than other, greener places. These urban heat islands are much more likely to be poor, minority neighborhoods, and their origins can be traced straight back to redlining that began in the 1930s. This summer, the disparate heat risk these communities face has piled onto the outsized harm that COVID-19 has already wrought upon them. The good news is that we can take actions that protect our most vulnerable urban neighbors and ourselves from COVID-19 and extreme heat. What is heat-related illness? Our ability to cool off has limits. When the heat is too strong, our bodies overheat. When that happens, we can get headaches and muscle cramps, and vomit. Severe overheating, when body temperature reaches 104° F or higher, can lead to heatstroke that can damage kidneys, brains, and muscles. Even for people who are healthy, heat can be dangerous and cause heat-related illness. Outdoor workers, athletes (especially football players and young athletes), and women who are pregnant should be especially careful when it’s hot outside. Who is at greater risk fro...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Asthma Children's Health Coronavirus and COVID-19 Emergency Planning Environmental health Men's Health Women's Health Source Type: blogs