Local doctor offers tips on how to stay safe in the heat
Dr. Bryan Durham, with New Hanover Regional Medical Center offered tips on how to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to prevent them.
Heat exhaustion can leave people feeling nauseous, lightheaded, fatigued, and cause excessive sweating. heat stroke can cause your body temperature to reach 106 degrees or higher, you can lose consciousness, and it can be fatal.
“Heat exhaustion is probably, we see that a lot more commonly. Patients coming in, especially those that are working outdoors, especially during this time of the year, where it’s just been kind of oppressively hot and high humidity. Heat stroke is, fortunately, not nearly as common,” said Dr. Bryan Durham, NHRMC Emergency Dept. at Scottsdale medical director.
Dr. Durham says those who work outdoors for long periods of time this of year are more likely to fall victim to one of the conditions.
David Lane, construction superintendent for “Clancy and Theys”, at the Riverfront Park, says he and his team work hard to ensure everyone on their crew stays safe in the soaring temperatures.
“We know what to recognize when they get too so, we’re not pushing them to the point that they’re going to break, but we do push them, but they’re pretty familiar with it and they know when they get hot to take a break,” said David Lane.
They encourage all employees to stay hydrated and cool, and teach new workers to do the same as they continue to work on the riverfront park in downtown Wilmington.
“You know, the older guys that are out here, the younger guys learn from them, and the crew leaders know how to take care of their crews, like I said is we go through lots of ice, lots of water. We have trash bags on trash bags of water bottles leaving this job site every day,” said Lane.
Dr. Durham says people need to remember to drink water, and stay hydrated, and to take plenty of breaks if they’re spending a lot of time outdoors when it’s hot. He also recommends checking on the elderly and infants, who may not be in a space where they can control temperatures.
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