Listen to the Doctor: High Temperatures Can Be Danger

It’s July and the high temperatures are to be expected this time of year.
Most of us just spend most of the day inside under air conditioning, but not everyone can.
And for those people here are some reminders of how to deal with temperatures near 100 degrees.

Anyone who says—“it’s too hot out here”, could be accused of having a strong grip on the obvious.
Those who say “this kind of weather can be dangerous” have a better understanding of the threat to your health.

OWEN SPEER, D.O., CHI MEMORIAL/HIXSON “Patients can not realize that they’re becoming dehydrated, over heated, and they come in here not feeling right and we try to evaluate them and figure out their risk factors ..get them feeling better.”

The Tennessee Valley usually has some of these days every summer, and those who work outside usually know what to do to avoid trouble.

STEVE MONTGOMERY, MOWING YARDS “I have a cooler in my van. its got ice in it and I have a couple of drinks, I stay hydrated. I make sure I take a break ever so often.”

Steve Montgomery spent 28 years as a letter carrier, back when they had to walk the routes.

STEVE MONTGOMERY “A couple of years, right there toward the end I did come close to a heat stroke …but I had to just take a couple of days off ..it was just too much for me.”

And how about folks working in the yard? Yes, they can get in trouble quickly.

OWEN SPEER, D.O. “But folks might go out to exercise or garden or work in their yard ….those folks are probably more susceptible the older we get to, its more difficult to control body temperature.”

FREDDY ROGERS, RETIRED “I think I’ve just about had one at one time…cause I got real dizzy, real weak, and real sweaty, I just had to get under a tree and relax for a while.”

EMS crews have been busy today treating people for weather-related problems.
In this case in north Chattanooga, it was an individual just taking a walk. He was taken in for treatment.

OWEN SPEER, D.O. “Immediately the response would be to take a temperature, make sure its not too high, any body temperature over 103 is definitely a warning sign.”

So, the advice is still—be careful out there in the heat.
Fall is on the way.