NEW ORLEANS — In New Orleans, after all the hot summers we've lived through, we may think we are used to high heat and humidity, but there is another factor that can change that.
And it can be as simple as a pill you are taking.
No doubt, you've heard all summer long that heat is more dangerous to the very young, and old, but it can also causes extra problems for a lot of people in between.
We turned to public health expert Dr. Jim Diaz of LSU Health Sciences Center, who warns that when you have a chronic health condition the heat is much more dangerous.
“The ones in red, we're really worried about,” Dr. Diaz says pointing to a list of chronic ailments.
And he says we have a high number of people suffering from those conditions, such as:
- Heart disease
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Liver disease
- Kidney disease
- Overactive thyroid
- COPD
- Strokes
- Alzheimer's and Parkinson's
- Autoimmune skin diseases like psoriasis
And there's another reason they cause concern.
“The combination of having chronic diseases, and the drugs that are used to treat these diseases, can put people at great risk.”
The medications can be as simple as treating your allergies.
“Claritin, you know, a lot of the antihistamines interfere with your ability to sweat. They're supposed to dry your nose, but they also dry your skin. So, you don't sweat as much.” said Dr. Diaz.
Or they can be the common SSRIs, like Prozac for depression.
And think about how many people you know who have high blood pressure and are on a diuretic, also called a water pill.
“The first line of treatment may be a diuretic drug. That tends to reduce the water volume, draw salt off, but it also dehydrates you. And if you're exposed to heat, and you're already somewhat dehydrated, you're at greater risk of having a heat stroke,”
But don't stop your prescription.
“You should not go off your medication at any time, but you should realize that you are at risk of heat stress, and that's when you need to stay indoors in the air condition,” said Dr. Diaz.
Here is a list of medications:
