Dangerous heat is expected to continue across much of Georgia through the Fourth of July weekend, with heat advisories in effect for much of north and central Georgia and heat index values climbing into the triple digits.
That means people planning to attend fireworks, cookouts or events like the Peachtree Road Race should start thinking about hydration before they head outside.
“The thing is, don’t drink when you’re thirsty,” said Dr. Cecil Bennett, a board-certified family physician with Newnan Family Medicine. “Drink periodically all the time. By the time you’re thirsty, you’re already behind on fluids, and the heat can just make it worse.”
Bennett said people should also wear loose-fitting clothing and seek shade whenever possible.
He also says it’s important to recognize the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
People experiencing heat exhaustion often sweat heavily and may feel weak, dizzy, nauseated or develop headaches. Bennett recommends moving them to a cool place, loosening clothing, applying cool compresses and offering small sips of water if they’re alert.
Heatstroke, he says, is far more dangerous. Bennett says warning signs include very hot skin, a lack of sweating and confusion or loss of consciousness.
“Before anyone does anything, dial 911.” Bennett said. “When we see a victim with heatstroke, we’re looking at someone whose body temperature is so high that they’re not sweating at all.”
Children and older adults face the greatest risk during prolonged periods of extreme heat. Bennett said children can become overheated quickly while playing outdoors, and older adults may be especially vulnerable.
“If you have an older senior loved one, it’s very important that you check on them on a regular basis on these hot days,” he said. “Make sure they’re staying hydrated and they’re in a cool place.”
For runners participating in Friday’s Peachtree Road Race, Bennett’s advice is simple: prepare ahead of time.
“If you know you’re going out in this heat, prepare very well,” Bennett said.
Transcript:
Pamela Kirkland: It’s GPB, I’m Pamela Kirkland. Dangerous heat is expected to stick around through the Fourth of July weekend, with heat index values climbing into the triple digits across parts of Georgia. So as families head outdoors for fireworks and barbecues and events like Atlanta’s Peachtree Road Race, we wanted to check in with someone who knows about staying safe in the heat. Dr. Cecil Bennett is a board-certified family physician with Newnan Family Medicine. Thank you so much for speaking with me.
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Great to be with you.
Pamela Kirkland: So we’ve had several days of this dangerous heat and it looks like it’s going to stick around for a little bit. How concerning is this stretch of weather from a medical perspective?
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Well, of course, every summer we worry about heat injury. And I’m glad that your station has taken the time to highlight a very important topic because heat injury can be very dangerous. The first one we look at is heat cramps, which of course is very common. You’re outside, you’re working in the garden, you’re playing basketball, etc., and all of a sudden you start sweating, you feel crampy in your joints. This is actually a mild form of heat injury. And in that situation, it’s important that you stop the activity that you’re doing, move to a cool place, hydrate very well for at least an hour or two before you go back. The two most important ones that we need to discuss today, though, are heat exhaustion versus heatstroke. And there’s a big difference between those. When we’re looking at heat exhaustion, we’re looking at symptoms of heavy sweating, feeling weak, fatigued, headache, some dizziness, nausea. But the important thing is that you are sweating during this time. Now, someone who has heat exhaustion, what do you do if you see your buddy, they’re sweating a lot, they’re a little bit dizzy, they’re nauseated? First thing to do is move them to a very comfortable, cooler environment, lie them down, loosen their clothes, try to get some cool compresses on their skin, put water to their skin, etc., and you can give them some sips of fluid as they can tolerate, assuming that they’re still alert. Now the one that we really need to be concerned about when it comes to heat injury is heatstroke. And it’s very important we identify these symptoms of heatstroke: When we see a victim with heatstroke, we’re looking at someone whose body temperature is so high that they’re not sweating at all. They’ve exhausted their entire sweating mechanism and they’re not sweating at all. Their skin is very, very warm to the touch. They may be altered mentally, speaking outside of their head. They may completely go unconscious. This is a medical emergency: It requires one to dial 911 immediately. Before anyone does anything, dial 911, get an operator on the line to walk you through the steps that you need to do to help this individual. But this is a medical emergency. Get them to a very cool place, loosen their clothes, go ahead and apply those cool compresses, but it’s important not trying to force feed them any fluid. If they’re unconscious, we do not wanna do anything that could possibly cause aspiration. Keep them as cool as possible, maybe put a cool cloth behind their necks, wet them down as best you can, as I said before. But a critical step here is to identify them with very hot skin, not sweating, altered mental status, and the most important thing to do in those individuals is to call 911.
Pamela Kirkland: And then, are there certain groups who are more affected by this severe heat than others?
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Definitely, it’s always the extremes. First, we look at children who basically play, play, play until they fall. And all of a sudden they get dizzy and they fall out. I mean, so you have to be very careful when it comes to children and parents or guardians. Try to go to parks that have some type of cooling system, the little spouts and stuff of water that children can kind of run through to make sure they don’t have severe injury. Now, of course, we’re looking at the elderly. Our elderly again, they’re immunocompromised to begin with. And my greatest concern with elderly is not necessarily going out into the heat, it’s that many of our elderly live in environments where they have no air conditioning, OK? And their home environment can be very hot and they’re definitely subject to heat injury. So if you have an older senior loved one, it’s very important to check on them on a regular basis on these hot days and making sure that they’re OK, they have enough fluids, they’re staying hydrated, and they’re in a cool place. And if necessary, someone needs to go get them.
Pamela Kirkland: It’s a weekend when a lot of people are planning to spend time outside for fireworks, for cookouts, barbecues. What advice do you have for people who are planning to spend several hours outdoors?
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Well, it’s great that we can enjoy the Fourth of July, our 250th celebration of our country. Prepare, right? In anything you do, if you’re going camping, you want to make sure you’re prepared. If you know you’re out in this heat, prepare very well. What do you do? You make sure that you have a lot of fluid. You make sure that you’re hydrating regularly. The thing is, don’t drink when you’re thirsty. Drink periodically all the time. By the time you’re thirsty, you’re already behind on fluids, and the heat can just make it worse. Wear loose clothing, all this tight black clothing is probably not a good idea to wear out at this time. And check on one another. Just make sure each person’s OK, making sure you’re staying in safe environments. Of course, there are times you have to walk out in the sun; if you’re at an amusement park, you have stand in line, but again, hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
Pamela Kirkland: And the Peachtree Road Race is actually one of the most popular 10K races in the country. For those getting ready to run, what advice do you have for them?
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Make sure you’re hydrating very well. Make sure that you’re prepared, OK? Because there are a lot of people out there who think they can run the Peachtree Road Race, who have no business being in the Peachtree Road Race, because they’re at increased risk of heat exhaustion or heatstroke because they haven’t prepared properly. I’m kidding, but from the amateur all the way up to the professional runner, prepare, prepare and prepare. Of course, you’re not going to be running with like a gallon of water in your arms, etc. But there are water along the way where they can splash you, you can take a drink. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate and finish the race.
Pamela Kirkland: Dr. Cecil Bennett is a board-certified family physician with Newnan Family Medicine. Thank you for joining me on Morning Edition.
Dr. Cecil Bennett: Thank you.
