New York doctors are advising people how to stay healthy in the summer heat.
Temperatures across the state will reach the high 80s and mid-90s in the coming days. Some climatologists estimate 2024 will overtake 2023 as the hottest year on record, and New York's average temperature has risen 3 degrees since the 1970s.
Dr. Steven Foulis, a physician at UBMD Primary Care, said people need to always stay hydrated.
"When you sweat, you lose a good deal of salt and other solubles through the sweat," he said, "so being able to replete those with whether it be a sports drink or really, any drink that has electrolytes in it would be an important thing to replete what your body is losing during warm days."
Foulis said people need to wear sunscreen when they're outdoors, since some aren't aware of the risks direct sun exposure poses. However, he added, this shouldn't stop anyone from getting away from their screens to enjoy the outdoors. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul's "Get Offline, Get Outside" campaign champions this by making all state park pools free this summer.
Not staying hydrated can lead to heat stroke or heat exhaustion, in turn leading to an emergency room visit. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study finds heat-related ER visits rose in 2023.
Dr. Donna O'Shea, chief medical officer for population health at UnitedHealthcare, said virtual care can help you decide whether a situation is serious enough to seek emergency care.
"You can decide, with a knowledgeable caregiver, 'Do I need more?' Most of the time, if it's related to hydration and heat stroke, if you're able to keep fluids down, virtual care can help determine how much, how long to wait before you go to the emergency room," she said. "Same thing even for sunburns or for bike safety."
She added that using virtual care can be a less time-consuming and less expensive option than going directly to a hospital. While telehealth can cost around $50, an in-person emergency room visit can cost around $2,700.
