Greenville doctor offers tips to beat the extreme heat

GREENVILLE, Pitt County — Temperatures are in the 90s and inching closer to triple digits this week across Eastern North Carolina.

This means people run the risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Keys to avoid the dangers of the heat include first, staying hydrated which cools your body down.

Also, finding shade can be all it takes to keep you safe in the brutal heat.

"Children, babies, and our elderly people, those extremes of age, they're more vulnerable for heat-related illnesses than those patients that are sort of in the middle of the age range," ECU Health Chief of Emergency Services Dr. Leigh Peterson said.

Dr. Peterson said heat like this can impact anyone.

Kaila Cherry knows her child is more likely to suffer from the extreme temperatures, so she limits time outside.

Cherry said she even likes to treat her child to ice cream.

"So, we're just trying to get something to cool us down or relax for a little bit, not too much pressure on us," Cherry said.

Like ice cream, there are plenty of other ways to prevent heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Dr. Peterson said people may begin to feel sluggish in the early signs of heat exhaustion, lost their appetite and feel like passing out.

"That's why listening to your body is crucial," Dr. Peterson said. "One of those signs is that we stop sweating, and so when patients have stopped sweating, that's very serious, very concerning, because now their body is beginning to shut down its normal compensatory function."

If you feel like you may have or are having a heat stroke, doctors say to move inside a cooler place immediately and call 9-1-1.

President Joe Biden is even addressing the extreme heatwave sweeping the nation.

He is scheduled to meet with FEMA and NOAA leaders on Thursday, July 27, 2023.