Health and safety experts are advising travelers to take specific precautions this summer due to forecasted above-average temperatures and increased health risks. Exposure to extreme heat can cause heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Travelers should verify day and night air temperatures and the heat index before departure. Strenuous outdoor activities should be scheduled during early morning or late evening hours. Dr. Alexander Azan, a physician and co-director of the Project HEATWAVE initiative, stated, "The same way that we prepare for more extreme travel in the cold, we should start to consider those tips to keep us safe in the summer months."
Certain groups are particularly vulnerable to heat exposure, including older adults, pregnant individuals, young children, and infants. Ashley Ward, director of the Heat Policy Innovation Hub at Duke University, said, "A lot of the prescription drugs that we take for common conditions like high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, they actually interrupt our body's ability to thermoregulate." Extended outdoor exposure, high-intensity physical activities, and increased alcohol consumption elevate heat-related risks. Ward also noted, "They think they can push through. That is a mistake."
Travelers should also verify the reliability of lodging air conditioning and check for recent regional power outages. Locating public cooling centers and noting medical emergency contact numbers are additional preventative measures. For those traveling by car, drivers should maintain at least a quarter tank of gas to avoid being stranded. Stranded motorists should remain in the vehicle or nearby shade and place reflectors or cones in front of the vehicle. Symptoms of heat illness include dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, and sweating with cool, clammy skin. Severe heat illness symptoms include slurred speech, unconsciousness, extreme confusion, and skin that feels hot to the touch.