Check In For Warning Signs To Avoid Heat-Related Illnesses

At least three more days of 95 to 100-degree heat temperatures are forecasted for this week.

Cookeville Regional Emergency Physician Dr. Omar Hamada said that he’s already seen cases of heat-related illness in the emergency room. He said that the most common mistake when it comes to heat exhaustion and even heat stroke is that people tend to overestimate their abilities.

“Being overconfident with what they can do or should be doing and minimizing the dangers of what can happen in the heat,” Hamada said. “Just like what we do in the cold. Cold is more uncomfortable for most of us, but we tend to overestimate what we can do and underestimate the dangers of the environment that we’re in.”

Hamada said that it is possible to train your body to acclimate to its surroundings and that every body will react differently in different situations.

Hamada said that when it comes to heat exhaustion and heat stroke, the illness acts as a continuum. He said that symptoms can start out with dizziness and sweating and then turn into something that can actually damage your body.

“If we keep going and don’t get help or hydrated or start getting cooler and get out of the heat, then we can transition into, as the continuum continues into heat stroke which is where your body really starts to shut down,” Hamada said. “Our core body temperature goes up to at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit, we start having alterations in our thinking ability or mental status and behavior, sweating may actually start decreasing and going down as the body starts to shut down.”

Hamada said that the main difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke is the injury it does to your bodily functions. He said that the best way to avoid putting yourself at risk is to make sure you’re hydrated and take breaks from the heat.