PHOENIX — The high triple-digit temperatures are on their way, with temperatures expected to hit 115 degrees in just a few days. If you haven't started drinking more water, you might want to start now before it's too late — experts say you need to start hydrating long before you ever go outside.
Dr. Pope Moseley, an intensive care physician and professor at Arizona State University's College of Health Solutions, said it's not the short bursts of heat that will make you sick, it's prolonged exposure to heat — hours or days in excessively hot weather.
"What makes you sick is the fact that it doesn't cool down," Moseley said. "Not that you have a spike of temperature."
And during the heat of the summer, Moseley said, health issues go up.
"Heart attacks go up," Moseley said. "Hospitalizations for dementia, for kidney failure, for bloodstream infections."
Moseleys' advice is to "pre-hydrate." Drink water before you head out in the heat, so you've "filled up" before you start sweating, and then keep drinking water throughout the day.
And not just water, Moseley says — you also need salts to stay hydrated.
"You need to drink before you're thirsty," Moseley said. "Because you can sweat a quart of fluid in an hour."
Pay attention to what your body is doing. If you start to feel cold and clammy, even though it's hot outside, something's wrong. If you start to feel sick to your stomach and have a headache, you could have symptoms of heat exhaustion.
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Heat Beat
Here are several videos about Arizona's extreme heat and how you can stay safe during the state's summer months.