NORFOLK, Va. — When the sun was up Thursday, it was muggy and hot. Unfortunately, the heat is here to stay for the next few days, which means you need to keep an eye on your health.
"My heat intolerance is off the chain. It’s bad," said Jill Teetor, a breast cancer survivor.
Ever since she went through chemotherapy 10 years ago, she can’t stand to be in the heat.
"If I don’t have a pool or a beach or something to cool off in, there’s no way. I mean it just physically makes me… I end up getting a migraine… physically makes me sick," she said.
Health experts tell older folks and young kids to avoid extreme heat. And if you’re sick or taking certain medications, it can be just as dangerous.
According to the CDC and FDA medications like Benadryl, blood pressure medication, medication for Parkinson’s, some decongestants, anti-depressants and stimulants, like Adderall, drop your heat tolerance.
They can inhibit sweating, or mess with the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
It's something Teetor’s mother has to keep in mind when the temperature goes up.
"She’s the same way as far as her heat intolerance," she said.
If you are taking certain medications, watch out for these signs of heat exhaustion, according to Patient First:
- Profuse sweating
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Rapid heartbeat
- Skin that feels cool and moist
- Muscle cramps
Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke, which can be deadly. Confusion, an extremely high body temperature, no sweat and a rapid pulse are all signs of a heat stroke.
Patient First says if someone has heat exhaustion symptoms and begins to vomit or refuses to drink, call 911.
Until Hampton Roads gets a break from the almost 100-degree weather, Teetor is trying to stay cool.
"I’m inside with the air conditioning down," she said.