After an extreme heat warning and scorching temperatures this past week, the Ozarks are anticipated to cool down, just a little. According to the National Weather Service's Springfield office, we'll likely continue to see weather that feels like it's in the high 90s and low 100s on Aug. 17 and 18.
Dr. Barbara Bumberry, who practices family medicine at Mercy, spoke with the News-Leader about how certain medications can make people more susceptible to heat and which medications can be affected by high temperatures.
"The main thing is just awareness of being on medications that put you at increased risk" of being affected by heat, Bumberry said, "and just taking extra precautions if you're going to be out in the heat."
Here's what to know about what medications
may make it harder for your body to stay cool, what to do, and how to make sure your medications are safe in the high heat.
What medications make it harder to tolerate heat?
There are a number of medications that make it more difficult to tolerate heat. Here are some common ones:
- Heart medications like blood thinners or beta blockers;
- Stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin;
- Anticholinergics;
- Laxatives;
- Diuretics;
- Blood pressure medications like ACE inhibitors;
- Psychiatric medications like antidepressants or antipsychotics;
- Allergy medication like antihistamines and decongestants.
How do those medications affect heat tolerance?
There are a few different ways that your body deals with heat and tries to maintain its internal temperature. Perspiration, or sweating, cools the body when the sweat evaporates. Your body also dilates blood vessels under the skin, which allows warm blood to flow through those vessels and release its heat through the skin.
Some medications encourage water loss, which can make dehydration more dangerous, while others affect the body's ability to sweat, the body's temperature and blood vessel dilation.
"If somebody gets dehydrated, it can also decrease the body's ability to clear certain medications, so it can cause toxicities or increased levels of those medications, which can be harmful, such as blood thinners or lithium, medications that are not uncommon for people to be taking," Bumberry said.
If medication affects the body's temperature or ability to cool down while the ambient heat is high outside or in their home, Bumberry said, it can lead to heat stroke, which can be life-threatening.
If I'm on one of those medications, how can I stay safe?
First and foremost, Bumberry encourages people to know what medications they're taking and the risks associated with them. Even if heat climbs, you shouldn't abruptly stop taking medications.
"You can maybe go off an antihistamine for a few days while it's hot, but something like a blood thinner or blood pressure medicine — you don't just stop those," Bumberry said. If you're concerned, talk with a doctor, who may prescribe a lower dose or change the medication you're taking.
In addition to that, Bumberry recommends taking extra precautions:
- Limit time outdoors during the hottest parts of the day;
- If you are working outdoors, take breaks inside to cool down and drink fluids;
- Spend time at places with air conditioning, like cooling centers, the library or the mall;
- Set up fans in your house — they won't help with the air temperature, but they can help sweat evaporate and cool bodies down;
- Drink plenty of fluids and water;
- Add some electrolyte solution to one or two bottles of water if you're sweating a lot, since sweating depletes the body of electrolytes;
- Avoid caffeinated beverages like coffee, tea, soda and certain energy drinks, since they have a diuretic affect and cause you to lose fluid.
What are symptoms of heat-related illness?
In order to stay safe in the heat, Bumberry encouraged people to be able to recognize heat-related illness symptoms.
Those can include:
- Muscle cramps;
- Confusion;
- Headache;
- Dizziness;
- Heavy sweating;
- Nausea or vomiting;
- Paleness;
- Loss of consciousness.
"If you start experiencing something like that, you need to get to a cooler environment right away," Bumberry said.
Additionally, heat stroke is a potentially deadly heat-related illness which occurs when the body's temperature is at or above 104 degrees. Symptoms include high body temperature; red, hot or dry skin; rapid pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; or unconsciousness. Call 911 immediately if someone exhibits those symptoms.
What medications are affected by heat?
Certain medications can be affected by heat and humidity, either by damaging the packaging or how well the medication itself works.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inhalers for those with asthma or COPD can burst if left in hot environments, like car trunks on hot days, and heat can cause EpiPens to malfunction or deliver less epinephrine during an allergic reaction.
Prolonged exposure to heat can make insulin and other medications like less effective.
Most medications should be kept in a location that's room temperature or cooler and dry in order to preserve potency. An article by the Baylor College of Medicine advises people not to take medication if it has changed color, texture, or odor after being exposed to heat, even if it has not expired.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Why medications could be making you feel the summer heat even more
