BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Temperatures climbing into the mid-to-high 90s this week threaten those who work outside and those who may not have access to a place to cool down.
Construction workers, postal employees and other outdoor jobs often leave people susceptible to the heat.
“Drink a lot of water — a lot of water. Don't dehydrate,” said Samuel David, an Asplundh employee working Tuesday as a flagger in Coopersburg in the scorching heat.
David shared how he keeps cool while flagging for hours — saying it’s all in the attire.
“I got two layers," he said. "The first layer keeps me cool because it gets wet and it keeps me cool inside and then the top layer is for protection.”
Breaks in the heat seem to be few and far between this summer, causing an increase in the number of people going to the emergency room with heat-related conditions, according to Lehigh Valley Health Network.
"The number one thing, of course besides hydration, is to stay cool and stay indoors with the air conditioning."Dr. Andrew Miller, Department of Emergency and Hospital medicine, LVHN
"The number one thing, of course besides hydration, is to stay cool and stay indoors with the air conditioning,” said Dr. Andrew Miller, regional vice chairman for LVHN's department of emergency and hospital medicine.
Miller said heat illness covers a variety of diagnoses including mild symptoms such as heat cramps or heat rash, to heat exhaustion to heat stroke.
“One of the number one complaints I see right now in the ERs are headache, and that's related to heat," he said.
"And so if they have chronic headaches, or if they don't, they come in and a lot of people have headaches, and I think it's definitely related to the heat."
Signs and symptoms vary
Miller said signs and symptoms can vary in children and adults.
“Adults, generally, we see anything from headache to lower leg swelling to just a rash on their body," he said. "All those kind of things, just irritability.
“The infants or babies, they can't speak, so they might just be more irritable and fussy, again. A lot of those definitely get heat rash and swelling and just not acting right.”
He said he does not recommend people play sports or partake in excessive exercise during these heat waves.
He said some people, such as the very young and very old, are more sensitive to the higher temperatures.
"And so making sure that you check in on your loved ones and that they're not getting too dehydrated, because that's the other thing, is the patients get very dehydrated with this.”Andrew Miller, regional vice chairman for LVHN's department of emergency and hospital medicine
“Especially patients that are on cardiac medications, those are even more at risk, because that will kind of prevent some of their evaporative maneuvers to help cool them down, the body's natural mechanisms.
"And so making sure that you check in on your loved ones and that they're not getting too dehydrated, because that's the other thing, is the patients get very dehydrated with this.”
City officials also are warning people of the effects of the heat.
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio recently posted a section in his coroner’s report titled, “Heat Related Deaths Update.”
"With the onset of the extreme heat and humidity within the past several weeks, I am pleased to announce as of this report, there have been no heat related deaths within Lehigh County.
"When my investigators respond to a house call for an unattended death, the investigators are trained to be vigilant on the housing conditions, including the operation and location of fans, air conditioning or any type of cooling device.
"Ambient air temperatures are documented. An external examination of the decedent is documented and when warranted, a temperature probe of the decedent is recorded.
"These extra steps, along with a thorough and complete death investigation, allow me to state with certainty that no heat related deaths have been recorded at this time.”
'Get out of the heat'
Miller explained what happens when someone dies of heat-related complications.
“What happens as the body starts heating up and if you get us above a certain temperature, and I'm talking 105 degrees or more, then the body starts dysregulating, and it can't keep up with that," he said.
"The blood changes, and you start not being able to clot, and so then you'll start going into what we call DIC [Disseminated intravascular coagulation] and you'll start actually bleeding out, basically, and your body just can't keep up with it.”
He said that happens only on very rare occasions.
“It's so sad when this kind of thing happens, because it's preventable, 100 percent preventable, you know, if you're in the right position."Andrew Miller, regional vice chairman for LVHN's department of emergency and hospital medicine
“It's so sad when this kind of thing happens, because it's preventable, 100 percent preventable, you know, if you're in the right position,” he said.
In the emergency room, he said, they often spray water on a patient who is overheating and blow a fan on him or her to bring down their overall temperature.
“If you don't have air-conditioning in your house, or you can't stay cool indoors, one thing I recommend certainly is family and friends,” Miller said.
“If that's not possible, grocery stores, the movie theater, anything that's kind of air-conditioned, just to kind of get out of the heat until things cool down."
Miller reminded people that it’s too hot to leave people or pets in cars during this time, even with the windows cracked.
He said the best thing people can do is stay indoors when it’s this hot and stay hydrated.
