LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – Another day basking in the sun as Las Vegas residents welcome warmer temperatures. However, when it comes to managing heat how do people cope, and what do they need to protect themselves against heat exhaustion or heat stroke?
8 News Now spoke with a few residents who have already turned on their air conditioning units and shared how they manage the heat while outdoors too.
“This week was the first time we turned it on we had to because the house got up to 80 or something last night,” Cameron Johnson a resident said. “I had to flip the switch that is just how it goes.”
For others managing the heat means having a plan, likely Kelly Bieterman who is an avid park-goer with her three dogs.
“When it starts to get 90 to 100 and over, we’ll be going out at 5 in the morning or after dark,” she said. “Going out when the sun isn’t directly overhead or staying somewhere with trees and shade for these guys especially.”
Dr. Christopher Choi with Concierge Wellness Center shared what he had seen amid the rising temperatures.
“I met a young lady in the emergency room because it was July and she was running outside when it was very hot and she wasn’t drinking enough fluids and she got heat exhaustion,” he shared. “Had she not come in, it could have progressed to heat stroke and she could have died.”
Water and electrolytes are key when staying out in the heat for prolonged periods.
Wearing light and loose clothing is also important, Dr. Choi added.
“Little kids and elderly folks are way more prone to getting dehydrated,” he said. “They need to drink a lot of fluids with electrolytes and I’m talking about 2 to 3 liters a day.”
Dr. Choi also mentioned that heat exhaustion and heat stroke are two very different things.
With heat exhaustion, people often get dizzy and nauseous. While if someone is suffering from heat stroke, they might seem confused or suffer from a seizure, that’s when it’s time to call 911.
