What should people with chronic diseases do when it's hot?

The heat in Yerevan, Armenia, can be dangerous for healthy people, and for patients with chronic diseases, it is doubly dangerous.

If you consider yourself a generally healthy person, a few simple tips can help reduce your discomfort during the heat. But what if you have chronic medical conditions?

According to experts, the greatest threat of heat is for people with cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. Experts recommend such patients not to go outside in the heat. The fact is that in the heat, the blood thickens, the load on the heart increases. The blood pressure of patients in such conditions can jump, and if a person is hypertensive, it can reach dangerous values.

People with cardiovascular disease tend to feel unwell in hot weather due to edema and a feeling of shortness of breath from increased stress on the heart.

Patients with chronic diseases are also advised to drink enough water throughout the day, unless, of course, there are serious contraindications for this.

It is also recommended to humidify the indoor air in hot weather. Humid air is believed to be easier to breathe, especially for people with lung disease.

Talk to your healthcare provider about whether you need to change the dosage of your regular medications.

If you are taking medications that affect thermoregulation and fluid balance in the body, talk with your healthcare provider if you need to switch to other medications or change dosages during hot seasons.