Emergency physician warns about heat-related illness

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — August is the hottest month in the Valley, and even as the area enters September, temperatures are still high. Medical professionals caution that it is important for residents to stay informed when it comes to heat awareness.

Dr. Francisco Torres, an emergency physician and medical educator working in the South Texas Health System ER in McAllen, said there are degrees of heat-related illnesses. They are all part of the same condition, but progress through different stages.

“They go from the basics, which would be heat cramps, which are the first signs and symptoms. Then you go into heat exhaustion. Then you go into a heat stroke, which is the most severe,” Torres said.

It begins with sweating, when the body loses electrolytes, it causes cramping. As more fluids are lost, the body then progresses into heat exhaustion.

Torres explained, “If you continue, then now the whole body starts shutting down, which gets you into the heatstroke part.”

Dr. Torres said that anyone who finds themself becoming tired or out of breath in the heat should first find a way to cool down. He suggested getting out of the sun and into an air-conditioned space, and if needed, pouring water on their head. Then, he recommends individuals to eat lightly salted foods, such as crackers, to help the body recover.

“Heat stroke is deadly. So you need to prevent getting into it, because just once can be the end of life," Torres said.

Recent research has shown that younger people may be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses than previously believed.

A study from Mexico published in December in the journal Science Advances found, "People under 35 years old account for 75% of recent heat-related deaths."

Torres said the long-term effects of heat exposure have not been looked at extensively, with research mainly focused on animal studies.

“There’s obviously some changes on the molecular level, on the genetic level that the heat is causing.”

He said studies that have been done have not shown an increased risk for other diseases related specifically to repeated incidents of heat stroke.

The research from Science Advances reported that "Recent studies project that temperature-related mortality will be the largest source of damage from climate change."