Local Doctors Urge Hydration As Summer Heat Raises Health Risks

With summer in full swing, more people are going to be outside. However, those hot temperatures have doctors warning people about some of the dangers excess heat can pose.

While the mornings may be cooler, those hot temperatures are only getting worse in the afternoon and early evening. The heat can also cause some big health problems if you're not careful.

Those problems could include dehydration, dizziness, fatigue and even headaches. A recent study from the University of Cincinnati's Gardner Neuroscience Institute said increased temperatures could mean more painful headaches for some people, including those that suffer from migraines.

Steven Barnes, Hillcrest Claremore's ER Manager, said the advice is nothing new, but people need the reminder that drinking water is extremely important.

"When you’re hydrating, you’ve got more fluid in your body. That allows the blood vessels to relax, which decreases your blood pressure, which in turn will help with the headache," Barnes said.

Barnes said because it's so hot outside, dehydration can creep up on you quicker than you think. Drinking water both before and while you're planning to be outside in the heat can help prevent some of those issues. Barnes said he's already seeing more people in the ER for heat-related issues.

"We recently had the tornado that came through Claremore, so we got a lot of brush removal and roofers and stuff. So those are the kind of fields that you see, those professions are being brought in with heat-related issues to the ER," Barnes said.

Barnes mentioned that if you have to be out in the heat, make sure you're taking plenty of breaks along with drinking water.