WMCHealth Offers Tips to Stay Safe During Hot Weather

VALHALLA, N.Y. (July 17, 2020) – Health risks rise with the temperatures, which is why the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is reminding Hudson Valley residents to take extra precautions as the forecasted high heat and humidity will make for a dangerous combination that can lead to heat-related illnesses. Infants, young children, older adults and those whose work requires spending extended periods outdoors are at particular risk for heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke

To beat the summer heat, stay hydrated, especially on days when heat and humidity are high, suggested Ivan Miller, MD, Director of Emergency Medicine at Westchester Medical Center, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital and MidHudson Regional Hospital, all members of WMCHealth. “If you believe you may be suffering from the effects of the hot weather, remove yourself from the heat, cool off and seek medical attention immediately,” Miller said.

If you find yourself feeling ill due to the hot weather, don’t delay care. Visit your nearest emergency department or call 911. WMCHealth emergency departments across the Hudson Valley are open and providing care for illnesses and injuries in safe, clean and comfortable environments.

Heat-Related Illnesses and How to Avoid Them

Heat emergencies include heat cramps, signaled by the tightening of abdominal, arm or leg muscles, and heat exhaustion, for which the symptoms are profuse sweating, nausea, generalized weakness, headache, dizziness and cramps. These weather emergencies can be corrected by getting out of the heat and staying hydrated but if these precautions are not taken, they could also lead to more serious illnesses like heat stroke.

“Heat stroke is most commonly seen in people who have untreated heat exhaustion, with soaring body temperatures as the victim loses the ability to cool himself or herself down,” Miller said. Heat stroke can lead to seizures and possibly death.

To keep you and your family safe during this week’s high temperatures, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these extreme heat safety tips, endorsed by Dr. Miller and WMCHealth, which include:

• Wearing breathable, lightweight, light-colored clothing.
• Limiting your exposure to the heat, sun or locations without proper ventilation.
• Using sunscreen
• Never leaving infants, children or pets in parked cars
• Checking on the elderly, who may be unaware of their limitations or may spend too much time exposed due to slow movement.
• Avoid hot and heavy meals. Drink plenty of water before, during and after outdoor activity. Avoid alcoholic beverages that can have an adverse effect on your body’s ability to regulate heat.

About Westchester Medical Center Health Network, the flagship of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network

The Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth) is a 1,700-bed healthcare system headquartered in Valhalla, New York, with 10 hospitals on eight campuses spanning 6,200 square miles of the Hudson Valley. WMCHealth employs more than 12,000 people and has nearly 3,000 attending physicians. From Level 1, Level 2 and Pediatric Trauma Centers, the region’s only acute care children’s hospital, an academic medical center, several community hospitals, dozens of specialized institutes and centers, skilled nursing, assisted living facilities, homecare services and one of the largest mental health systems in New York State, today WMCHealth is the pre-eminent provider of integrated healthcare in the Hudson Valley. For more information about WMCHealth, visit WMCHealth.org.