As heat index values rose into the triple digits this week, the Triangle's three major hospital systems are continuing to see patients affected by the heat.
So far this week, WakeMed's emergency departments treated 53 patients for heat-related illnesses. That's about half of the heat-related cases they've seen this month. And there's also been a general uptick in the emergency departments of UNC Health and Duke Health.
Dr. Joshua Ring is the associate director of Duke Regional Hospital's emergency department. He said compared to how many people they see in a typical summer, the uptick in patients affected by the heat is noticeable this year.
"We're seeing people who are doing roofing work or doing lawn care, but we're also seeing people who are otherwise healthy and are running or riding their bikes outside in the middle of the day," he said. "And then excluding those individuals who are outdoors, we're actually seeing people who don't have good, working air conditioning in their homes or facilities where they're living, who are already ill with chronic medical problems."
Extreme heat, like the wave happening across the East coast, can cause heat-specific illnesses. Things like sunburn, heat rash, and heat cramps can occur in milder cases.
But, it's as exposure progresses that more dangerous illnesses, like heat exhaustion—with symptoms like heavy sweating, weakness, and nausea—and heatstroke—which often causes confusion, seizures, and loss of consciousness—can appear.
On top of this, Dr. Abhi Mehrotra, vice chair of UNC's emergency department, said heat can also exacerbate existing medical conditions.
"An example is older patients that are on blood pressure medications," he said. "They frequently work by limiting your body's ability to regulate temperature, because you're controlling your blood pressure, your pulse rate, with those medications. And so if your body's natural reaction is to adjust those variables, if you're blocking that, that becomes a concern with the heat exposure."
So, how can North Carolinians beat the heat?
According to the National Weather Service in Raleigh, while the heat is diminishing from record highs, heat index values will still hover around 100 degrees during peak midday hours. To keep safe throughout the weekend—and the rest of the summer—both Ring and Mehrotra stressed hydrating and staying indoors as much as possible throughout the afternoon. And for children, a spokesperson from WakeMed said to make sure they receive fluids every 15 minutes, since they can get dehydrated faster than adults.
Ring recommended looking into community resources, like cooling centers, for people without reliable air conditioning. For example, cooling stations are open in Wake County. Durham County library locations are also open as cooling centers during their normal business hours.
And as for heat-related illnesses, Mehrotra said watching out for others may help them catch developing symptoms.
"(What I recommend) is checking on those that are vulnerable," he said. "You know, those that are young infants, older folks that are maybe in the neighborhood, as the heat continues and we go through the summer. It's a team sport, ensuring that if you're going to be out there, that someone else can check on you."
