AUSTIN, Texas — All Texans know: it gets very, very hot here in the summer — and sometimes even sooner.
Dr. Vivek Goswami, M.D., from the Heart Hospital of Austin spoke with KVUE about ways to stay healthy as the heat rises.
How your body cools down
Your body deals with heat two in main ways:
- Through transfer and perspiration. Your body transfers the heat to the ambient air because it is less than the body temperature
- Through perspiration. The evaporation of perspiration is what cools the body
“As you can imagine, as the heat rises the ambient air makes that transfer of body heat less efficient. If the humidity is really high, it prevents us from evaporating that perspiration from our skin, and that precludes us from lowering our body temperature,” Goswami said.
Through both of those mechanisms, this often results in an increase in heart rate.
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How long does it take to suffer heat exhaustion?
In Texas, heat exhaustion can happen within 10 minutes of being outside, especially if you do not take measures to protect yourself before you go outside.
“Our bodies are not meant to do well in extreme hot or cold and, if you have underlying heart conditions, that can make it even more stressful,” Goswami said.
What to look for
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
“If you know you’re going to be outside and potentially exposed to the heat for a long period of time, prepare in advance," Goswami said. "Don’t wait until you are thirsty to stay hydrated. Pre-hydrate, that is an important thing. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, which can function as diuretics can enhance dehydration.”
If you are taking diuretics for high blood pressure, you need to be careful about being in extreme heat situations.
“As a cardiologist, I rarely ask people to curb their exercise, but I do think people should avoid exercising in the heat of the day, choose the evening hours," Goswami said. "We’re accustomed to this in Central Texas, but we should still have respect for it, especially if there is an underlying heart condition.”
Goswami said many people think the shade or fans can help, even if you’re outside for a short time.
“If you’re dehydrated, oftentimes it’s like trying to cool yourself with a blow dryer. it’s not going to help. It's obviously not very effective,” he said.
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