The United States is being baked by a heat dome. This is the reason it’s so risky.

The new July is June. or even August, perhaps. The summer heat has already reached record highs, or at least that’s how it feels.

Earlier in the month, a heat dome, a type of high-pressure weather system, imprisoned record-breaking high temperatures over the West Coast of the United States, causing severe heatwaves for people (SN: 7/19/23). As of right now, temperatures in numerous cities are expected to approach 38° Celsius (100° Fahrenheit), thanks to another heat dome that is bringing another wave of excessive heat to large portions of the Midwest and East Coast.

While likely not unique, Benjamin Zaitchik, a climate scientist at Johns Hopkins University, notes that it is early for this level of heat. The temps we’re experiencing are more typical for late July and early August. We’re rarely seeing them in June this year. Weather can do that. Heat waves are becoming more common and intense globally, which is a pattern of climate change.

According to Zaitchik, these early heat waves may be more hazardous than ones that occur later in the summer. That’s partly because by late summer, our bodies have become accustomed to the heat, just like they would if they were taking a hot bath. Unexpectedly high temperatures can often take individuals off guard. Activities outdoors that, in a temperate climate, would be ideal for June weather can become dangerous.

Furthermore, nightly temperatures aren’t falling far enough to offer relief throughout entire regions. These areas turn magenta on a new online tool called HeatRisk, which was created by public health and climate experts in the United States to monitor dangerous heatwaves up to a week in advance (SN: 4/22/24).

Here are some tips regarding heat and health as temperatures rise around the nation.

Severe heat strains our body.
Heatwaves can be fatal. More people die from heat-related illnesses in the US than from other natural disasters, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods.

Generally, our bodies contain mechanisms to withstand heat. Heat is released by the blood as it flows just beneath the skin’s surface. Sweat evaporation aids in skin cooling. However, the effectiveness of these techniques is limited (SN: 7/27/22). Furthermore, humans become more susceptible to continuous heat when temperatures and humidity rise during heat waves, decreasing our capacity to cool down by dispersal or evaporation.

Extended periods of high temperature cause stress to multiple physiological systems (SN: 8/6/23). In an attempt to cool the body, pushing blood toward the skin can deplete oxygen from important organs such as the heart and lungs. Sweating excessively puts the heart under more strain to pump blood that has hardened due to dehydration, which raises the risk of dehydration. The kidneys also suffer because they require water to control fluid balance and remove toxins from the blood.

Overheating the body can cause symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as headaches, dizziness, and fainting. If the body doesn’t cool down, heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke, which can lead to the failure of oxygen-starved, overheated organs. Heat stroke patients may experience convulsions or delirium, irreversible organ damage, or possibly pass away.

Certain individuals are more vulnerable.
During heat waves, individuals (and their dogs) may keep safe by drinking plenty of water, minimizing physical exertion, and spending time indoors in air-conditioned buildings.

However, some people find it difficult to put that advice into practice. Those without a place to live or laborers whose occupations need them to be outside in intense heat might not have the choice to stay inside the air conditioning. People who reside in humid climates or in metropolitan areas with little trees may also be more vulnerable than those who live in other, naturally colder locations (SN: 4/3/18).

Some people may have medical issues that increase the need to stay cool because they increase the likelihood of experiencing symptoms associated to heat. For instance, pregnant women’s hearts, which are already under a great deal of strain to pump blood to two bodies, may be further stressed by extremely high or low temperatures. According to the U.S., heat exposure has been associated with low birthweights and preterm births. the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control.

Because they are unable to cool their bodies as effectively as younger people do, those over 65 are also more vulnerable. This age group is also more prone to suffer from long-term conditions like diabetes or cardiac issues, which can worsen in the heat. Researchers found that older adults with coronary artery disease who were exposed to rising temperatures experienced a reduction in heart blood flow when compared to those without the condition, as they reported on June 11 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Studies indicate that by 2050, almost 25% of the world’s population aged 69 and over may encounter temperature extremes above 37.5°C (SN: 5/14/24).

Younger individuals with chronic diseases are also at risk from heat. Increased air pollution during hot weather can lead to asthma episodes. Moreover, some pharmaceuticals, like metformin for diabetes, can dehydrate a patient; antipsychotics for schizophrenia can lessen the body’s natural sweating response.

Communities must change as the heat of late summer arrives early.
Seeking methods to combat the heat is difficult.

Scientists have observed an earlier shift toward hotter temperatures as a result of global warming. A greater proportion of days reaching those extremes could result in more heat waves due to shifting air circulation and climate feedback loops, according to Zaitchik (SN: 11/9/23). “This could result in extremes that intensify at a rate that is faster or more intense than what we’re typically seeing.”

There are more hot days than ever before, thus experts are closely examining strategies to safeguard the most susceptible. It can save lives to check on high-risk individuals who spend most of their time alone to make sure they have water or are in a cool place. To prevent passengers on public transit from having to wait for thirty minutes in the sweltering heat, cities should ensure that bus stops are not in direct sunlight or that buses operate on time and according to a timetable.

However, Zaitchik notes that it’s critical to collaborate with communities to make sure that people are receiving both what they need and what they want. For example, consumers can only benefit from air conditioners if they can afford to pay their utility bills. “In order to avoid false starts, we must move swiftly while being strong and unified at the same time. There isn’t much time left for us to try again after failing.