Heat affects all ages
Uniontown Hospital has treated at least nine people over the past two days for heat-related illnesses.
Dr. Jeffrey Frye, the hospital’s medical director for emergency services, said very few of the heat victims have been in the high-risk categories such as the elderly, the very young or those with pre-existing medical conditions.
“Surprisingly, (Wednesday) it was in the mid-20s age group, guys who were working outside,” Frye said. “Two of them said they drank a ton of water. It’s amazing how often people underestimate how much they need to drink to stay hydrated.”
Frye said that in hot, humid conditions it’s not unusual to need to drink a gallon or more of fluids a day, staying away from sugary, caffeinated beverages that can actually lead to dehydration as the body gets rid of the excess sugar.
Frye said the six patients who were seen at the emergency room Thursday for heat-related problems included a few people in their 70s, and a few in their 40s and 50s. One person had been weeding a garden.
“The longer the heat wave lasts, the more people try to get back to their regular activities,” Frye said.
Frye said he didn’t expect to see so many healthy adults for heat-related problems.
“It was a bit surprising. Classically, it’s the elderly and the young. That age group just tries to keep going,” Frye said of the people in their mid-20s to mid-50s who were seen at the hospital this week.
According to John Darnley, a forecaster with the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, the record high for July 21 in Pittsburgh was set in 1885, when it hit 99 degrees. The hottest it’s ever been in Pittsburgh is 103 degrees and the last time it was as hot as it was Thursday was on Aug. 4, 2002, when the temperature rose to 95 degrees. None of that lets people know which day felt the hottest, though, Darnley said, because that depends on the heat index.
Thursday’s forecast high for Uniontown was 91 degrees, Darnley said, with a heat index that made it feel like 97. Even that is only part of the picture.
“The heat index is a formula that factors in the humidity with the current temperature,” Darnley said. “It’s calculated for shade and light wind. In full sun, it can increase by 15 degrees.”
Darnley said high winds also can increase the heat index.
Darnley said there should be a little relief in Fayette County over the next few days, with the Uniontown forecast calling for a high of 88 degrees with a heat index of 95 today; 88 with a heat index of 93 on Saturday and a high of 87 with a heat index of 89 on Sunday when a weak cool front is expected to move into the area.