SHERMAN, TX-Texoma is also feeling the triple-digit heat putting those who work outside at risk of heat related illnesses.
One Medical's Dr. Mark Buckner tells us heat related illnesses is the number one environmentally related cause of death in the U.S. He has some tips on how to keep yourself cool while working outside. TxDOT also tells us what they do to make sure road crews don't end up in the E.R.
TxDOT area engineer, David Selman said road crews work extra hours during the summer because the 100 degree heat can take a toll on the roadways.
"In the extreme heat, you've got materials that expand. So like the concrete pavement is actually expanding and when they butt up against to each other, they actually explode and create potholes," he said.
Selman said fixing the problem can also mean workers will have to deal with even higher temperatures.
"One of the things that we're doing this week is laying hot mix which is around 300 degrees so it even adds to the heat related stress of our guys working out in the heat," he said.
"A lot of heat exhaustion patients are the ones who are out really physically exerting themselves in the heat."
One Medical's Dr. Mark Buckner said patients have been coming in with heat related illnesses and a lot of them work out in the heat.
"Almost all of them. A lot of it has to do with getting acclimated to the heat, that's really important for people who are working outside and that takes a good 14 days," he said.
That's why Selman said they tell crews to take extra precautions while working.
"We've told our guys three things: to drink lots of water, every 15 minutes take a drink of water, take breaks in the shade and then watch out for each other," he said.
Dr. Buckner said workers need to pay attention to symptoms that can indicate dehydration, heat exhaustion and, especially, heat stroke which requires immediate medical attention.
"Lack of sweating, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, feeling like you're gonna pass out, headache, cramping," he said.
Dr. Buckner adds that drinks with electrolytes, like Gatorade, are ideal if you work outside because they can help you stay hydrated longer than water.
He also said it's best to wear light-colored, loose-fitted clothing while working outside.
Study found more germs and a wider variety of bacterial types in houses with dogs
But it's unclear what the finding might mean for patients
Hopelessness, disability may play a role in feelings of despair, study finds
But questions remain about widespread screening
Patients thought to have lung condition were re-evaluated in small study
In a medical first, doctors used plastic particles and a 3-D laser printer to create an airway splint to save the life of a baby boy who used to stop breathing nearly every day.
WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A 33-year-old Polish man received a face transplant just three weeks after being disfigured in a workplace accident, in what his doctors said Wednesday is the fastest time frame to date for such an operation. It was Poland's first face transplant.
NEW YORK (AP) — The American Cancer Society — one of the nation's best known and influential health advocacy groups — is 100 years old this week.
By Toni Clarke WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Merck & Co's experimental insomnia drug moved a step closer to U.S. approval on Wednesday after a panel of medical experts said it is effective and safe at lower doses. The advisory panel was convened to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decide whether to approve the drug, suvorexant, which would be the first in a new class of sedatives that block chemicals in the brain called orexins that help keep people awake. The drugs are designed to help people fall asleep and stay asleep. ...
