The Heat and Your Heart: What You Need to Know When It Gets Really HOT!

Summer is officially upon us and with the sun-filled days comes the extreme temperatures. Warm weather and longer days will bring many of us outdoors for cookouts, parties and more, but with local forecasts predicting temperatures soaring to 100 degrees this weekend it is important to understand the risks. Most healthy people can tolerate these heat changes without missing a beat, but people with damaged hearts, or older people whose bodies don't respond as readily to stress, have a much harder time and may succumb to heat stroke.

On hot, humid days, our hearts need to pump harder to initiate the sweating response that cools the body. For people who already have a weakened heart, that extra pumping can cause stress on the cardiovascular system. The extra work for the heart, compounded by the loss of sodium and potassium and the internal flood of stress hormones, can push some people into heat stroke. Additionally, the combination of increased blood flow to the skin and dehydration may drop blood pressure enough to cause dizziness or falls.

We asked our cardiac expert to provide a few simple tips that can help you beat the heat, protect your heart and not ruin your summer. Cary L. Hirsch, MD, FACS, Co-Director of The Active International Cardiovascular Institute at Good Samaritan Hospital, recommends the following:

• Take it Easy: Put off exercise or other physical activity until things cool down. Evening and early morning are the best times to get outside or you can move your exercise program to an indoor gym or pool. If you do exercise, drink more than you usually do.
• Drink to Your Health: Water is critical to all functions in your body. On dangerously hot and humid days, try drinking a glass of water every hour. (If you have congestive heart failure, check with your doctor or nurse first.) Pass on sugary soda and full-strength fruit juice since they slow the passage of water from the digestive system to the bloodstream. And don't rely on caffeinated beverages or alcohol for fluid because they can cause or amplify dehydration.
• Stay Cool: Turn on your air conditioning. If you don't have air conditioning, use fans and periodically apply cool water to your skin. If your home is still not cool enough, go to an air-conditioned mall, senior center, friend's house, or library - anywhere that's cool enough to keep your body temperature within the normal range.
• Dress for Success: Light-colored clothing reflects the sun's rays, rather than absorbing them like dark clothing. Heavy-weight fabrics will trap body heat in, while lightweight fabrics allow heat to escape and better allow for your natural sweating processes to cool you off.
• Block It: Apply sunblock before you go outside. A sunburn can make it harder for your body to stay cool.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a form of heat sickness that can lead to heat stroke. The symptoms include:

• Heavy sweating with cool, clammy skin
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Fainting

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is an emergency. If you experience the following symptoms, apply cool water to your skin immediately and seek medical help.

• High fever
• Hot, dry skin without sweating
• Pounding pulse
• Dizziness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Confusion
• Unconsciousness

Getting out of the heat immediately, applying cool water to your skin, and drinking cool (not cold) water can help you stop heat exhaustion before it worsens.

For more information about heart health and cardiac care, please call 845.368.5620 or visit goodsamhosp.org/cardiac-programs