Now that higher summertime temperatures are arriving, it’s perfectly normal to sweat more and to feel more sluggish – it’s just your body’s way of getting used to the heat, says a Phoenix-area Banner Health urgent-care expert.
“It’s really important to take it easy when the heat hits,’’ said Samia Kadri, nurse practitioner and supervisor at Banner Urgent Care. “Your body is working really hard to adjust to the heat so it’s very important that you pace yourself.
“People want to do the same kind of activities that they do for the rest of the year but when it gets to be triple digits day in and day out, you need to ease into that,’’ she said.
Kadri says it can take up to two weeks for healthy adults to adapt to hotter temperatures.
“Acclimatization will happen, but it doesn’t happen fast. Your body will learn how to sweat more efficiently to cool you off,’’ she said.
People who work outside for a living may adapt more quickly to the heat than those who work in offices, she says. Also, people with pre-existing medical conditions and those on various medications, need to be especially careful since they may have more difficulty recognizing and adapting to the heat.
Kadri says that the urgent cares frequently treat people who don’t feel like they are drinking enough water to quench their thirst. To help with that, Kadri often prescribes a simple solution of water, salt and sugar that people can make at home to help replenish salt and potassium lost through urination.
“Water is always a good option but let’s not forget those electrolytes. Sometimes you will need more than water.’’
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