These Common Health Conditions Can Be Negatively Impacted by the Summer Heat

As we approach the first day of summer, during which we must see “Temperatures warmer than normal“It is important to recognize how heat can affect your health. In addition to stay hydratedkeeping fresh and wearing sunscreenYou should also be aware that heat can affect health problems and current drugs, which potentially worsens your symptoms.

As always, call 911 if you are in distress or find it difficult to breathe. It is also important to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion And heat stroke – The latter often follows the first – whether for your own health or that of a neighbor.

Below, we will enter the current conditions which can be exacerbated by summer heat.

Respiratory conditions

People with health problems affecting lungs or respiratory tracts, such as asthma Or Chronic obstructive bronchopneumopathyare more affected by heat, like hot weather can restrict the respiratory tract. If you have a respiratory state, pay attention to air quality alerts in your region And try to limit your time outside the hottest days.

What to do: If you suffer from asthma or use a inhaler, you may want Take your inhaler with you at all timesAccording to the Allergy & Asthma network, and check with your doctor if you notice that your symptoms aggravate. Note the instructions of the inhaler for storage, and certainly leave it in your hot car Or wherever it can overheat.

As a Health Temple, you can also plan your day around the hottest periods. For example, if you have to go shopping, Try to go out in the morning or later in the evening.

Skin conditions

Bad weather at the two ends of the spectrum can cause an escape from the symptoms for people with eczema And rosacea. The high heat is associated with dehydration, perspiration and more sun; All this can trigger. In addition, people subject to acne Can notify more thrusts in summer, thanks to all this perspiration and the bacteria that is there.

What to do: If you have eczema, follow these tips for the summer months from the Association of the American Academy of Dermatology::

• To keep the skin hydrated (and reduce the probability of a thrust): limit showers to one per day, in lukewarm water, and try to stay in less than 10 minutes. If you sweat or need another shower, try to do it cool.
• Use perfume -free soaps, shampoos and even a detergent detergent, if you can. Sweat can make someone sensitive to perfume or even more sensitive dyes. (In addition, do not do too much on soap in general.)
• Wear loose clothes.

If you are subject to acne, take additional care to take a shower or rinse after exercise or sweat in heat, because bacteria and sweat accumulation can make everyone more sensitive to pimples.

If you have a skin condition, pay particular attention to the ingredients of your sunscreen. The National Eczema Association recommended mineral ingredients.

Diabetes

About 12% people in the United States suffer from diabetes and people with type 1 and type 2 Diabetes feels heat more that the others, according to the American centers for the control and prevention of diseases.

Diabetes can cause complications that interfere with the functioning of your perspiration glands, and therefore the way your body is able to cool. Diabetes can also dehydrate you (dehydration is a Very common symptom Diabetes, and not one to ignore), to worsen an already common number during the summer months. In addition, high temperatures can change the way your body uses insulin, according to centers for disease control.

What to do: Avoid getting burning as much as you can, because sunburn can increase your blood sugar, depending on the CDC. To do this, wear sunscreen, a large hat and even protective and cowardly clothes, if you can. The CDC also recommends not Go barefoot, even on the beach. (Some people with diabetes have nervous lesions that affect their feet, which in fact Sensations that are difficult to feel like heat or pain in their feet.)

To keep yourself hydrated, try to limit alcohol or caffeine to really hot days. If you use insulin, be sure to store it as indicated and far from extreme temperatures (PDF), as it can cause it to be lost.

Heart disease and high blood pressure

Being hot can Put additional pressure on your heartThis can be a problem if you live with cardiovascular disease. In addition, people with high blood pressure are more likely to have heat -related diseases Or live a heat stroke. In addition, certain common drugs take their heart or blood pressure may affect the body’s response to heat, including beta-blockers,, diuretics And ACE inhibitors.

What to do: Try Limit things that excite your body or lift your blood pressureLike drinking caffeine or doing something painful when it is hot outside, according to the Mississippi State Department of Health. As always, Stay hydrated. Because such common heart health drugs can affect how the body manages heat, it’s a good idea to check with your doctor how to manage the hottest months.

You can also enjoy summer fruit, such as fresh garden vegetables, to add to your nutrition and create a Healthier diet for the heart.

Use these hot months as an excuse to have your blood pressure checked or manage. High blood pressure is extremely common; About half of us adults have it.

Pregnancy

High heat, as well as pollution, can affect pregnancy and Increase the risk of early childbirth, low birth weight and other non -ideal results. This is in addition to making a pregnancy much less comfortable.

What to do: If you are pregnant, take the measures you would normally want to keep you cool and your internal body temperature, as to stay inside as much as possible on hot days and make sure you stay hydrated. To keep your nutritional intake in the heat, try to eat small fresh meals (like fruit bowls or generous salads), as Babycenter suggests (Babycenter belongs to the same parent company as Cnet, Ziff Davis.).

Autoimmune diseases

Health problems that start in the immune system can pass out for people during the summer months. According to the Global Autoimmune Institute, high temperatures, UV light and humidity can trigger an immune response. Lupus, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and more can all be exacerbated by heat, whether the effects are in the joints (as with arthritis) or neurological (as with the MS).

What to do: THE National Society of Sclerosis in Plate Recommends doing all the things you are probably doing to stay cool, such as staying in an air -conditioned space (the company also notes that your CA cost can be tax deductible, if your health care provider writes a prescription to minimize symptoms). He also recommends making pre- and post-referrals if you do the exercise, gradually adding cold water to lukewarm water. In general, as the Autoimmune World Institute says, be aware of sudden temperature changes, which can also cause problems (that is to say, go from a very cold air-conditioned room to a sunny day of 90 degrees). Allow your body to go there.

If you have an autoimmune affection that affects the skin, such as psoriasis, and hot weather aggravates instead, you can help prevent a thrust by following skin care advice for people with eczema, as Use of soft soaps and limiting warm showers.

Mental health symptoms

Extreme heat and Climate change affects mental health Many ways, often overlapping. For example, many mental health problems are more likely to occur in people with other health problems, or those affected by factors that make them more vulnerable to high heat, such as poverty.

People with schizophrenia can get more harm regulate their body temperature and certain drugs prescribed for mental health, including some antidepressantsMedicines to manage Psychosis symptoms And stimulants For ADHD can also affect the way the body regulates temperature.

Many people can also be in a Higher risk of depression, irritability or mania during the hottest months spring and summer, and extreme heat has been linked to More damage and death.

What to do: If you feel symptoms of depression, despair or mania, or any type of mood that affects your quality of life, talk to a medical professional or health to manage symptoms during warmer waves when the symptoms could be worse, as well as a long -term plan to get help.

If you take prescription medication for anything (whether for mental health symptoms or something else), it is a good idea to check with your doctor if there are additional steps that you should take to stay safe.

If you have suicide thoughts, or if you believe that someone you know is in danger, you must call 911 (or your country local emergency) or go to the emergency room. Explain that it is a psychiatric emergency and ask for someone formed for these kinds of situations.