Every day, about 40 patients come to the emergency department of St Panteleimon’s Hospital due to overheating and exacerbation of chronic cardiovascular diseases.
According to the patients themselves, they felt sick after a long stay outside or directly in the sun. So the doctors remind us how to take care of ourselves on these hot days and avoid overheating.
“During a heatwave, metabolism accelerates significantly and active cooling of the body through sweating begins. And with this, our body loses most of its electrolytes. And this leads to a change in blood pressure: it either drops or rises rapidly and leads to a hypertensive crisis,” explains Myroslav Baitzar, a therapist at St Panteleimon’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv.
Changes in pressure can be signalled by dizziness, headaches, and loss of consciousness.
To help yourself on particularly hot days, it is important to follow the basic rules:
1. Avoid exposure to the sun during the so-called “peak” hours, i.e. from 11:00 to 16:00;
2. Drink at least two litres of water per day in small portions (unless contraindicated);
3. Cool the skin;
4. Avoid vigorous physical activity;
5. Wear light-coloured clothing, sunglasses and a hat;
6. Use SPF cream to protect the skin from harmful ultraviolet rays;
7. Do not drink alcohol and liquids with a high caffeine and sugar content;
8. Do not leave children and pets in the car! As a rule, the temperature in the car is much higher than outside.
“If you follow these simple rules, overheating can be avoided. And people with heart disease, vascular disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases will be able to tolerate the heat much easier,” adds Myroslav Baitzar, a general practitioner.
By the way, there are 12 drinking fountains in Lviv equipped with filters, so the water is clean and safe to drink. The addresses are:
- 1 Rynok Square – near the Town Hall;
- Svobody Ave – near the Opera House (opposite the National Museum);
- Svobody Ave. between the Roehring flowerbed and the monument to Taras Shevchenko (at the intersection with P. Berynda str.);
- S. Bandera street – the territory of the public space near the Organ Hall;
- 85 Gen. 85 – Frankivsk District Administration;
- intersection of S. Bandera and Gen. Chuprynky streets;
- E. Malaniuk Square;
- Pidvalna Street, Na Valakh Square (near the sports ground);
- Mytna Sq;
- 175a Lychakivska St. – public space near the Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary;
- at the intersection of T. Shevchenko and D. Bortnyanskoho streets;
- Dvortseva Square – near the Railway Station.