By Garrett Estrada
With summer in full swing and many of us tired of seeing the same four walls everyday since quarantine began, people are likely thinking of going outdoors in search of some fun or exercise. But with triple digit heat everyday on the forecast, spending any more than 15 minutes outside can be dangerous without taking precautions.
In fact, according to the New York Times, heat related deaths have been on the rise in Nevada including a “fivefold” jump from 29 in 2014 to 139 in 2017.
Thankfully, these deaths are preventable with proper planning before venturing out into the Vegas sun says Dr. Chang Hoon Ahn of Southwest Medical Associates.
Ahn said the amount of time people spend out in the sun before the heat affects them is different for everyone and depends both on how hydrated they are and how much activity they are doing. However, negative effects of heat can start to take place in as little as 10 to 20 minutes of exposure. The danger also increases depending on the age of the person, with seniors and kids four years or younger being at the highest risk as their bodies regulate temperature poorly.
If people do plan on spending any extended period of time outside in triple-digit heat, Ahn said it’s important to know the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“If a person is starting to experience heat exhaustion it means their body temperature is increasing but their system to control it is overloaded. They will show signs of intense sweating, have muscle cramps a fast heart rate and become nauseous and dizzy,” Ahn said.
He recommends taking that person out of the heat into an air conditioned place or even the shade and have them hydrate with water to help get their system back under control.
“For heat stroke, which is the one that can lead to death, the person will have hot but dry skin, they won’t show sweat and they will start to have headaches,” Ahn said. “If you see a person experiencing these symptoms, please call 911.”
Both heat exhaustion and heat stroke are more easily brought on if the person is dehydrated or if they are doing a lot of physical activity in the sun. Ahn recommends drinking six 16-ounce bottles of water a day if you’re going outside and to limit any outdoor exercising to before 9 a.m. to help stay safe.
Don’t forget the suncreen, SPF 15 or higher, either as sunburn can easily occur in the summer heat. Ahn said while people often will bring a bottle with them to the beach or the waterpark, many of us don’t think to put it on under our clothes when we are just out and about.
“Often people think of applying sunscreen when their skin is directly exposed to the sun but the sun can easily penetrate our light summer clothing like t-shirts and still sunburn our skin, which can lead to increased risk of getting skin cancer,” Ahn said.
As for those thrill seekers at the water parks? Ahn said attendees should reapply a coat of sunscreen every 30 to 60 minutes as it will come off in the water.
“One coat doesn’t do it. That’s why at the waterparks when you look at the surface of the water you can see that thin layer of what looks like oil. That’s the sunscreen that’s washed off.”
Ahn said to be careful of consuming too many alcoholic beverages outdoors as they too will dehydrate drinkers faster than normal.