SAN DIEGO — May gray, June gloom, and now, July fry!
Planet Earth just recently experienced the hottest day ever recorded. In fact, there were three record-breaking days in a row this week, and as San Diego finally starts to warm up, CBS 8 spoke with experts on how to best take care of yourself in the heat.
Of course, drink a lot of water, wear sunscreen, and find shade - but as the world gets warmer, we want to help you and your health in this heat - for the long haul.
While some are already experiencing a summer scorcher, it's winter in other parts of the world -- so the average temperature here on Earth, reached just under 63 degrees - for the first time ever, on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.
"The world is changing. We call it extreme heat events," Dr. Vi Nguyen said, who is a climate health expert at Kaiser Permanente in Otay Mesa.
As we brace for San Diego summer, I spoke with Dr. Nguyen about why it’s so important to be mindful of our hot weather for both the short and long-term side effects.
"Most people don't hydrate enough, on a regular day, imagine on a hot day," she said.
Getting close to the triple-digit mark puts us in greater danger of experiencing heat exhaustion.
"You'll get people with that mental fog, school achievement goes down, interesting phenomena of more kidney stones, all of those things cost money, so it impacts our community," she added.
That's why she's studying the topic.
"Heat waves happen, then babies are born early, and small."
Doctor Nguyen's research shows extreme heat leads to premature labor, and strain on your heart, lungs, and kidneys, and as temperatures rise, she says, so does domestic violence.
"That lack of sleep affects your circadian rhythm and increases your risk of a psychiatric illness. It's just a response to increased stress," Dr. Nguyen said.
So while the most vulnerable are the elderly, the young, those with certain medical conditions, and just those who work outside - anyone can fall victim in just a few short hours.
So stay hydrated, stagger your outdoor activities, and sorry friends, steer clear of alcohol. It’s very dehydrating.
"If you take care of yourself, you won't have those medical issues later on," she said.
Extreme heat causes around 700 deaths annually in the U.S. and it brings 67,000 people into the Emergency Department.
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