High Point University’s Dr. Matthew Kuennen, associate professor of exercise science, says heat-related deaths and illnesses are preventable, you just need to know some basics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 600 people in the United States are killed by extreme heat every year.

Kuennen has conducted research related to exertional heatstroke (EHS) inside HPU’s Human Biomechanics and Physiology Lab in the Congdon School of Health Sciences.

“Heat acclimation expands the plasma volume, which can reduce heat storage during work/exercise performed in a hot environment,” says Kuennen. “As long as a person maintains adequate hydration, this reduces the likelihood of hepatosplanchnic shunting (reduced blood flow to gut tissues), which is a primary driver of EHS.”

Kuennen is available for interviews and can discuss the following topics:

What is extreme heat?

- Extreme heat is defined as summertime temperatures that are much hotter and/or humid than average.?
- Humid and muggy conditions reduce the effectiveness of sweating to cool the body, making it seem hotter than it really is.

What causes heat-related illness?

- Heat-related illnesses, like heat exhaustion or heat stroke, happen when the body is not able to properly cool itself. While the body normally cools itself by sweating, during extreme heat, this might not be enough. In these cases, a person’s body temperature rises faster than it can cool itself. This can cause damage to the gut, brain and other vital organs.

Heatstroke symptoms:

- High body temperature, hot, dry, red or damp skin, fast pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion or losing consciousness.

What to do if you experience heatstroke symptoms:

- Submerge as much of the body as possible in the coldest temperature of water possible. Ice baths are the gold standard treatment for EHS.
- If the person is conscious, give them cold beverages to drink. This increases the delivery of cooled fluids to the body’s core.
- Call 911 right away. Heatstroke is a medical emergency.