SOUTHWEST LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — With Memorial Day weekend marking the unofficial start of summer, many Southern Nevadans are already preparing for rising temperatures and the extreme heat expected in the coming months.
At Exploration Peak Park in the Mountain’s Edge community, residents told Channel 13 they’re finding creative ways to stay cool while spending time outdoors.
“I can’t believe it, but you get it where you soak it and then you shake it and it does help me feel a little cooler,” said one resident, April, describing a cooling towel she uses in the heat.
WATCH | Las Vegans prepare for heat as doctors warn some medications can increase risk
As temperatures climb, some say they’re taking extra precautions during outdoor activities.
“What my favorite thing is when I know it’s gonna be very hot. I’ll put ice cubes in a plastic bag. I’ll keep that on my head and then when I’m jogging and I get up there I take the bag out. It’s pretty melted and I drink it,” April said.
Other families are turning to splash pads and parks to stay cool.
“The temperature is rising so I trying to stay cool and her to the splash park,” one father said.
But doctors say staying safe in the heat goes beyond just drinking water.
Local physician Dr. Saira Mehmood says some medications can increase a person’s risk of heat-related illness and dehydration.
“Patients specifically taking diuretics, which is a water pill, are at a higher risk for dehydration,” Mehmood explained. “Antihistamine allergy medications are anticholinergic medications. Those can decrease your ability to sweat, so dehydration is the risk for that.”
She says even popular GLP-1 weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can create additional risks during extreme heat.
“More commonly now, GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy decrease your appetite, so you oftentimes have decreased oral hydration because of that,” Mehmood said. “Patients can also experience abdominal pain or vomiting, and dehydration from that can put you at risk when you are out in the heat.”
Some residents taking medications say they’re already adjusting their routines.
“Well, we wore our hats and we have some water with some Propel in it or, you know, the electrolytes to replace those,” one couple told Channel 13.
Doctors recommend people stay hydrated, avoid prolonged time outdoors during peak afternoon heat, and pay attention to how their body responds to high temperatures, especially those taking daily medications.
