MINNEAPOLIS — High temperatures are already keeping emergency departments busy.
Doctors said being out in the heat for multiple days in a row can create a compounding effect. By day three or four, your body has less energy to handle the heat. You add in alcohol and fireworks, and it's the perfect recipe for a lot of serious injuries.
"Things you might start to notice are just feeling exhausted and feeling like you can't go on outside — that is a sign of heat exhaustion and definitely a sign that you should get inside,” Hennepin Healthcare emergency physician Dr. Andie Rowland-Fisher said.
And the hotter it gets, the more people drink, and it's not always water.
Doctors said a lot of the fireworks injuries they see involve alcohol, with people getting too close and burning their hands and arms and getting fireworks debris in their eyes.
Also, the more alcohol you drink, the more it impacts your body's ability to handle this heat.
"The main thing that gets people into trouble is alcohol consumption, just because that's going to make you dehydrate faster and less aware of the right things to do when it gets hot,” M Health Fairview emergency medicine physician Dr. Dave Milbrandt said.
That's why doctors are encouraging people to keep an eye on their family members and friends if they've been drinking. They might not notice the heat as much and could get into trouble.
"Symptoms like confusion, coma, you can have a seizure. If you're around something like that, they need to get to the hospital immediately,” Rowland-Fisher said.
Doctors said they're also expecting to see some injuries from fights and assaults over the next 24 hours.
They said assaults can happen when there are large groups of people together drinking and it's hot out, causing a recipe for violence.
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