A blessed reprieve may be on the horizon after days of oppressive heat, but emergency room doctors in Baltimore say the latest heat wave has been a reminder that hot weather isn’t just uncomfortable – it can be dangerous. In the last few weeks, when temperatures and the humidity routinely made the weather feel like it’s 100 degrees, doctors have reported seeing an uptick in people coming to hospital emergency departments with the trademark symptoms of heat-related illnesses. Between June 30 and July 6 — the most from the Maryland Department of Health — emergency departments and urgent care centers statewide reported 127 visits associated with heat-related illnesses.
Calls to emergency service providers peaked that week with 69 calls July 6, a day when temperatures hit 100. Heat-related illnesses cause symptoms like dehydration, dizziness, a racing heart rate, nausea and confusion, doctors said. They can be life-threatening but are commonly alleviated with intravenous fluids and rest in an air conditioned hospital.
While anyone, even those who are typically in good health, can be susceptible to heat-related illnesses, hot weather can act as a “threat multiplier” for people with pre-existing health conditions, said Dr. Chris Lemon, an emergency medicine physician at Johns Hopkins Medicine. “The heat is going to take any potential problem with your health, and it’s going to make it worse,” he said.
Besides practicing emergency medicine, Lemon is also co-direc.
