What may increase your risk for problems from heat-related symptoms?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medications, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.
Conditions
- Younger than age 5
- Older than age 65
- Obesity
- Previous heat-related illness
- An illness that causes dehydration (for example, an illness with vomiting or diarrhea)
- Recent burns, including sunburns
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal. Illegal drugs, such as methamphetamines, amphetamines, cocaine, heroin, PCP (phencyclidine hydrochloride), and LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide), also affect your ability to sense dehydration or heat-related symptoms. These substances also reduce your judgment about whether treatment is needed for a heat-related illness.
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medications
- Anticholinergics, such as atropine and scopolamine
- Antidepressants
- Antihistamines, such as Benadryl and nonprescription cold remedies
- Benztropine mesylate, such as Cogentin
- Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, and aspirin
- Cardiac drugs, such as beta-blockers and calcium channel blockers
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone and dexamethasone
- Diuretics, such as Lasix and hydrochlorothiazide
- Phenothiazines
- Medications to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medications used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
- Medications used to treat Parkinson's disease
- Radiation therapy
- Sedatives, such as Haloperidol
- Thyroid hormones
Diseases
- Cancer
- Cystic fibrosis
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Hemophilia
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Hyperthyroidism
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Kidney disease
- Lupus
- Malnutrition or an eating disorder such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Peripheral arterial disease
- Pheochromocytoma (endocrine abnormality)
- Skin diseases, such as psoriasis, scleroderma, or eczema
- Stroke
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: December 12, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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