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News Articles: heat stroke

A football player in Macon, Georgia, drinks water during practice in August 2024.

This is how Georgia is leading the nation in protecting student athletes from heat stroke

Georgia once led the nation with 58 deaths related to extreme heat between 1980 and 2009, according to research from the University of Georgia. Bud Cooper, with the Mary Frances Early College of Education Department of Kinesiology, helped change that.

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Hot weather adds to the challenge of competing at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. The Olympics advised athletes to acclimatize before the games with a technique called heat training that can help the body adapt.

Heat training can help athletes -- and the rest of us -- adapt to hotter weather

Some Olympic athletes prepared for Paris with a technique for acclimatizing to hot weather. Healthy people can take a cue from them, medical experts say, to build up tolerance for heat.

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  • Pien Huang
EMTs help a patient in Austin, Texas, this week. The man had passed out near the state capitol and was dehydrated. Cities with few trees and areas of shade are hotter during heat waves.

How heat makes health inequity worse, hitting people with risks like diabetes harder

Heat is dangerous for the many people with common conditions like diabetes or heart disease. And vulnerable communities face greater exposure to heat and fewer resources to escape it.

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  • Yuki Noguchi
When patients arrive with heat stroke, medical teams quickly cover them from head to toe with bagged or even loose ice to lower their core temperatures back below 100 Fahrenheit, according to Dr. Jeffrey Elder, who leads emergency management at the New Orlean's largest hospital, University Medical Center. ER staffers also use misting fans on patients and administer IV fluids for rapid rehydration.

In broiling cities like New Orleans, the health system faces off against heat stroke

Like other places, New Orleans has seen record numbers of people falling ill with heat-related conditions. First responders and hospitals race to respond with ice, fluids, and air conditioning.

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  • Drew Hawkins

This CDC data shows where rates of heat-related illness are highest

Emergency rooms report when patients visit with health problems caused by heat. Find out when and where rates of illness are spiking, and explore trends over the last five years.

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  • Pien Huang,
  • Alyson Hurt,
  • and 1 more
It was 118 degrees after 5 p.m. in Phoenix, Arizona on July 18, 2023. More than 80 million people have been under heat warnings, as relentless temperatures continue to bake the western and southern U.S.

Here's what happens to the body in extreme temperatures — and how heat becomes deadly

Multiple organ failure, heart attack and kidney failure are the primary ways people die in extreme heat. Read on to find out how to stay safe in the heat wave.

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  • Maria Godoy
People seek relief in the shade outside the Daybreak Day Resource Center in Macon during snack time as temperatures in central Georgia reach close to 100 degrees.

How people without housing survive during heat waves in Georgia

Heat advisories across the U.S. have physicians warning about the risks of exhaustion and heat stroke from excessive exposure. Housing insecurity makes that risk higher.

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Luna the French Bulldog dressed up for the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, DC, on July 4th.

5 tips to keep your pet safe — and comfortable — in extreme heat

"If it's hot outside for you, it's most likely even hotter for your pet," one expert tells NPR. Here's how to protect your pet outdoors, keep them engaged inside and respond to signs of heat stroke.

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  • Rachel Treisman
As the heat breaks records, remember that preventing heatstroke or heat exhaustion takes planning ahead to ensure you stay hydrated and can cool off frequently.

8 mistakes to avoid if you're going out in the heat

You can still enjoy the outdoors this summer despite the scorching weather, if you're smart about it. Here's what to watch out for and how to stay safe.

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  • Allison Aubrey and
  • Carmel Wroth
Imani Bell's father (in purple) stands with his attorneys, reacting to news of criminal charges against two high school basketball coaches involved in the heat-related death of the 16-year-old in August 2019.

Family Reacts to New Criminal Charges Against Coaches In Girl's 2019 Heat-Related Death

Two Clayton County high school basketball coaches have been indicted on criminal charges of second degree murder, second degree child cruelty, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless conduct.

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When working out in the summer, watch for the signs of dehydration and heat stroke. Choosing a later evening or early morning time for a run in one smart way to stay safe.

How To Heat-Proof Your Summer Workout

With much of the U.S. already sweltering this summer, even avid runners, hikers and bikers are wilting. We've got 10 strategies from experts on how to enjoy hot weather exercise without keeling over.

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By:
  • Suzette Lohmeyer