Emergency Medical Assistance Service (EMSA) medics have provided assistance to people of various ages during these hot days, and there have been no very serious or tragic situations related to the effects of the heat, Inga Vītola, a representative of the Communications Department of the Emergency Medical Service, informed LETA agency.
In children, complaints appeared after a long stay outside, more often in cases when the whole day or a large part of the day was spent outside playing or near water bodies in the heat and sun. Most often, insufficient fluid intake was additionally detected.
Similar calls were also registered in the adult group. On the other hand, among young people, the most frequent mistake was staying outside for a long time in hot weather, playing sports or performing other physical activities, as a result of which overheating occurred and required medical assistance.
In several situations, adults also performed physical work outside in the heat for a long time, after which health problems appeared.
Calls have also been received from elderly people whose complaints started while staying in heated indoor spaces. The service encourages you to contact relatives and neighbors who live alone more often in hot weather to make sure of their well-being.
EMS indicates that in most cases fluid intake was insufficient, but sometimes it was not taken at all during the day.
The service reminds that in hot weather, liquid should be consumed regularly throughout the day, without waiting for the feeling of thirst. Also, during the day when the sun is most active, it is recommended to stay indoors or in the shade and avoid heavy physical work.
On hot days, everyone is at risk who does not drink enough fluids, is dressed too warmly in the heat, does not use a head covering when staying in the sun, and also stays in direct sunlight or heat for a long time, according to the NMPD.
Elderly people are especially at risk, especially those over 75 who live alone, small children, especially children under one year of age, whose physiological thermoregulation has not yet fully stabilized, as well as bedridden patients who depend on the help of others on a daily basis.
There is also an increased risk for people with chronic diseases, especially respiratory or heart diseases and mental health disorders, people who take certain medications, as well as those who do sports in the heat, perform long-term hard physical work, including working in the field, or work in unventilated and uncooled rooms.
EMS also warns that a baby stroller or the interior of a parked, unventilated car can turn into a “greenhouse”, putting a child at risk of life-threatening overheating, and overheating is also possible when a child sleeps in stuffy and hot indoor spaces. People who use alcohol or drugs are also at risk.
As announced, the heat will gradually recede this week, while in the second half of the week it will rain more often, the Center for Environment, Geology and Meteorology of Latvia predicts.
