Local health officials are warning about the North Texas heat and your health.
Triple-digit temperatures tend to make people sick and the current heat wave is sending more people to the hospital.
“We have seen heat-related illnesses in the emergency rooms for this summer,” explained Tarrant County Health Department Medical Director Dr. Sandra Parker.
While there have been no confirmed cases of heat deaths, the number of people seeking medical treatment this summer is up.
“We’ve had 122 visits by Tarrant County residents to local emergency rooms, with the chief complaint of a heat-related illness or associated symptoms,” said Parker.
Medical experts always stress the need to dress in loose fitting, light-colored clothing and hydrate by drinking plenty of water. But dont think a cold beer will keep you cool.
“Beer contains a substance that is actually a diuretic,” said Parker. “It actually causes you to lose water instead of retain it.”
Doctors say workers accustomed to being outside still need to follow health tips. Some people work in the heat and so they develop a heat tolerance, but that doesn’t mean that with these extreme temperatures that they still shouldn’t be careful, urged Parker.
Some hot weather precaution advice –
• Avoid overexposure • Avoid dehydration • Watch for signs of heat illness • Maintain adequate ventilation/air conditioning
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Tags: Heat Wave, Hospital, North Texas Heat, Texas Heat