The warmth wave sweeping across the U.S. has disrupted the lives and affected the health of tens of millions of individuals. Although heat-related illnesses can affect anyone, individuals with underlying health conditions comparable to diabetes, cardiac issues and skin disorders have to take extra precautions.

Know the way extreme heat affects individuals with these conditions and the information to remain secure:

Skin conditions

“Many skin diseases are heat-sensitive; higher temperatures can induce or exacerbate several cutaneous conditions, including skin infections, autoinflammatory skin diseases comparable to atopic dermatitis, hidradenitis suppurativa, pimples, folliculitis and pemphigus, and even skin cancer incidence,” Eva Rawlings Parker, assistant professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, told Medical Day by day.

Nevertheless, individual responses to higher temperatures vary amongst individuals with atopic dermatitis or eczema.

“For some, warmer temperatures and better humidity are useful; nonetheless, for others, these conditions provoke flares. Regardless, during heat waves when temperatures are extremely high, itching is commonly more intense, and increased sweat production may lead to an irritant effect, flaring dermatitis on the skin,” Parker said.

What to do to guard yourself:

Although large-scale climate motion is required to bring everlasting solutions to rising heat, Parker believes there are a lot of things people can do to assist themselves. Easy steps like limiting outdoor activity, use of fans and air con, wearing lightweight loose clothes, staying well hydrated and avoiding consumption of alcohol and caffeine could make a great distance.

The American Academy of Dermatology Association recommends individuals with dry skin to limit their showers to once a day in lukewarm water. Using fragrance-free cleansers and applying moisturizer to damp skin might help the skin stay hydrated.

Cardiac issues

During extreme heat, the body’s natural temperature-regulating mechanism goes haywire and puts pressure on the guts to pump harder and faster for improved blood circulation and warmth dissipation. The temporary additional pressure on the guts may not cause issues for healthy individuals but in individuals with cardiac issues, it might increase the danger of critical events comparable to heart attacks.

“For people with compromised cardiovascular health, the increased workload on the guts and the heightened demand for oxygen within the coronary tissues can result in an imbalance in oxygen supply and demand. This imbalance can potentially trigger a series of events that would lead to cardiac ischemia (reduced blood flow to the guts muscle), myocardial infarction (heart attack) or perhaps a sudden onset of cardiovascular collapse,” Jingwen Liu, lead writer of a Lancet study that evaluated the impact of warmth exposure on cardiovascular health, told Medical Day by day.

Tricks to help:

Along with following general recommendations to remain hydrated and avoiding excess physical activities, heart patients should be certain that their medications are stored in a cool dry place. Certain medications comparable to beta blockers used for cardiac issues can increase the danger of warmth stroke. Also, they shouldn’t stop medications without consulting with their health practitioner. They must also check for symptoms like chest pain, rapid heart rate, difficulty respiratory and dizziness, and seek immediate medical attention.

Diabetes

Individuals with diabetes often get dehydrated more quickly than people and not using a health condition. Dehydration also causes high blood glucose levels in them.

In line with a study published in Diabetes Care last yr, hot temperature can put diabetes patients vulnerable to developing three serious health conditions – hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), diabetic ketoacidosis (when the body produces excess blood acids and sudden cardiac arrest) and ventricular arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeats).

Tricks to follow:

• Although physical activity is crucial for managing blood sugar, diabetes patients should avoid exercising outdoors.
• Diabetes patients should continuously check their blood sugar levels, especially after physical activities as hot weather could cause fluctuations.
• All medical supplies, including insulin, insulin pump and glucose meter, ought to be stored away from direct heat.
• Be careful for symptoms of hypoglycemia comparable to dizziness, confusion, increase in heart rate, sweating and anxiety.

Mental health conditions

Excess heat can affect an individual’s mental wellness. Studies have shown that periods of hot temperature increase the variety of emergency room visits for mental health conditions.

In individuals with psychiatric conditions, hot temperature can induce symptoms comparable to restlessness, insomnia and aggression. In line with a study published by the National Institute of Health, individuals with underlying mental illnesses are twice as more likely to die during a heat wave than the overall population. Some psychiatric medications, including some antidepressants and antipsychotics, also can reduce the body’s ability to manage temperature.

Tricks to help:

• Stay hydrated as dehydration can aggravate symptoms comparable to anxiety
• Attempt to get good sleep by keeping the room cool and following a sleep schedule
• Confer with a health practitioner to know in case your medicines could cause an increased risk of overheating

“Everyone, especially people more vulnerable to extreme heat, is inspired to remain hydrated and take precautions in extreme heat conditions, and to envision on those that could also be more vulnerable to extreme heat conditions,” the American Psychiatric Association said in a news release last week.

Published by Medicaldaily.com