09/23/2023 – 15:36
In the first seven months of the year, the State of São Paulo recorded a 102.5% increase in outpatient care and hospitalizations caused by exposure to heat, compared to the same period in 2022. There were five deaths in the period. The data was released by the State Department of Health this Friday, the 22nd, a week in which much of Brazil faces a heat wave.
According to data from the folder, there were 312 services carried out in 2023 compared to 154 in the same period last year. People over 60, children under four years of age and people with cognitive disabilities are the most affected and fall into the risk group. This audience has a reduced ability to perceive or communicate when they are thirsty and to regulate their own body temperature.
The secretariat’s information does not take into account data from August and September. Depending on how hot it is in these two months, and considering the tendency for temperatures to rise in the spring period, these numbers should increase.
The problem of high temperatures, however, is far from being unique to Brazil. According to the United States Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), which has been recording global temperatures for 174 years, August 2023 was the hottest ever seen compared to all other Augusts in previous years.
The forecast is that the heat in the capital of São Paulo will reach its peak this weekend, which marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. According to the City Hall’s Emergency Management Center (CGE), thermometers could register 36ºC on the afternoon of Sunday, the 24th. If confirmed, it will be the highest temperature of the year so far. The current record is this Friday: 34.7ºC.
With no rain forecast, the sun predominates and keeps the weather sultry. According to CGE, the humidity rate drops from 28% (predicted for Saturday) to 23% on Sunday. The consequences of this low humidity are the concentration of pollutants in the air and the risk of fires, which can further worsen health problems, especially respiratory problems.
To get through this period of high temperatures in a healthier way, experts recommend drinking fluids (1.5 liters to 2 liters) throughout the day; keep environments ventilated, airy and fresh; wear light clothing and do not exercise at the time of day when the heat is most intense – the suggestion is to do it before 10 am and after 4 pm.
The recommendation is to observe the behavior of the public who are in the risk group, and who cannot or cannot verbalize what they feel. Young children, for example, become more tearful, irritable, drowsy and have red skin. A drop in urination frequency is also a sign that the effects of heat are being felt.
Elderly people also deserve special attention as they are more likely to experience dehydration. Because they are subject to diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, they lose more water through urine because of the medication.
Another factor that contributes to dehydration in older people is the natural decrease in the functions of the hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature. With the impairment of this region of the brain, the elderly feel less thirsty and, therefore, drink less liquid than they should.
Signs of drowsiness, lethargy, weakness, persistent headaches, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and convulsions may be indicative of dehydration and body heat. In babies, the fontanelle may present with mild depression. Anyone experiencing these symptoms, regardless of age, should seek medical assistance.
#São #Paulo #records #deaths #increase #visits #due #heat #effects