ATLANTA — Right now we have dangerous heat and metro Atlanta doctors say they’re on the lookout for people overdoing it in the heat.
Channel 2’s Linda Stouffer spoke to doctors about what to look out for, and they said it starts with not just what, but who is in the most danger.
The three groups most at risk in the heat are seniors, people taking certain medications and children.
Doctors told Channel 2 Action News that children can’t sweat and cool off as well as adults.
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Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, at Wellstar East Paulding Pediatrics, said families can start preparing before the heat gets too be to much.
She said the game plan starts with water.
“You want to make sure that you are encouraging your kids to drink throughout the hot day, not waiting for them to come to you asking for water,” Dolgoff said. “The key is you want to make sure that you’re drinking enough so that you don’t get thirsty, because by the time you’ve gotten thirsty, you’re already in a fluid deficit.”
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To keep up with hydration in the heat, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says to carry a water bottle with you, drink it and refill it throughout the day.
The CDC also said to check your urine color. If it’s light yellow or clear, you’re drinking enough, but if it’s dark, you need to fill up.
Among all the drink choices, Dolgoff said the best is still water.
“So really, it’s water, water, water for sure,” Dolgoff said. “If a child has been having vigorous exercise outside for at least an hour, that’s when we’ll recommend a sports drink.”
However, sweet drinks or drinks with a lot of caffeine can make dehydration worse.
“We don’t count soda when we’re talking about hydration,” Dolgoff told Channel 2 Action News.
Wellstar told Stouffer that they’ve seen an uptick in emergency room visits tied to heat-related issues, like heat exhaustion, though it’s not as many as this same time last year.
The CDC says signs of heat exhaustion include nausea, swaying heavily and thirst.
If that’s how you start to feel, you need to move fast to get out the heat. Heat stroke, versus heat exhaustion, has more severe symptoms.
Signs that you’re having a heat stroke are confusion, dizziness and losing consciousness. If this happens, seek medical help immediately.
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