Even young and fit urged to skip runs and too many beers in heatwave
In the UK, ahead of the World Cup when England play Panama on Saturday, people are being advised to drink plenty of fluids but not too much alcohol to prevent dehydration in the scorching heat.
Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it makes you urinate more, and hot weather makes us sweat a lot.
“This double whammy of dehydration makes it even more important to drink plenty of water and stay as hydrated as possible throughout the day,” says Alcohol Change UK.
The nights were also hot during the heatwave, which posed a challenge in itself. This means that the body cannot cool down sufficiently between daytime temperature increases.
Heat exhaustion can affect anyone, including fit and healthy people; especially if they have done strenuous exercise in high temperatures or drank alcohol in the sun all day. It may occur quickly, within minutes, or slowly, over hours.
Might turn later heatstroke, externalThis is a medical emergency. This means your body can no longer manage heat and your core temperature becomes too high. Rapid breathing or shortness of breath and fainting or loss of consciousness may occur. Get emergency medical help.
People are reminded that it’s okay to take a few days off from exercise given the warm weather. If you’re going to do something physical outdoors, slow down the pace, slow down your pace, and stick to cooler times of the day, like early morning or late evening, experts advise.
Paris mayor Emmanuel Grégoire said that French broadcasters should not believe that they are “invincible”.
“I’m thinking especially of young people… I saw about 100 runners on the street. Frankly, this is irresponsible.”
London Ambulance Service said it responded to its highest ever number of life-threatening emergencies on Wednesday, when temperatures in the UK capital were in the mid-30s.
There was a 50% increase in life-threatening emergency calls and a 30% increase in the number of heart attacks compared to a typical Wednesday in June.
As football fans prepare to cheer on England on Saturday, when temperatures are still expected to top 30 degrees, Chief Operating Officer Craig Harman is advising people to drink plenty of water between alcoholic beverages.
“I tell people to drink water even when you’re not thirsty, to stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day, not to exercise, especially outside, and not to put your body under extra heat and stress,” she said.
French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist warned that “young people are also having heart attacks”.
The ambulance service in Paris saw four times more cardiac arrests than usual in a 24-hour period, but there is no confirmed figure yet on the number of deaths linked to the heatwave.
