Doctor offers tips for people who have to work outside in the heat

Thursday marked the eighth straight day of temperatures in the 90s in the Twin Cities.

From dehydration to heatstroke, this extended heat wave is igniting health concerns.

"Oh miserable, this is August weather and we have it in June so I don’t like the humidity," said Dan Burr, who runs the Wisconsin Cheese stand at the Minneapolis Farmers Market.

Many don’t have a choice but to be outside in the heat because they work outside.

"I always wear a hat, I got comfy shoes, I wear a lot of sunscreen and we make it work," said Lisa Middag, director of Nicollet Activation with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District.

Middag and her team spend a lot of time outdoors helping others and making the city look its best.

"They’ve got cool lemonade, we’ve got shade, we’ve got games and people are having a good time despite the heat," Middag said.

"Heat like this is really dangerous for people who aren’t acclimated and used to working in heat, so be careful," said Dr. William Roberts, a physician at M Health Fairview and a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School.

Dr. William Roberts is a Physician at M Health Fairview and a professor at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He says some signs of heat stroke are rapid heartbeat, loss of balance, confusion, and nausea.

"The signs that I think of most frequently are feeling really fatigued and feeling really hot," Dr. Roberts said.

He said any physical activity in this heat can be especially dangerous.

"You can get a heatstroke with pretty minimal activity pretty quickly and it’s not the time to do intense activity," Dr. Roberts added.

But after a year or so cooped up indoors from the pandemic, being outside isn’t that bad if you can find some shade, especially for those who missed out on so much.

"You miss the customers, you miss the people," Burr said.

Doctors say to avoid heat exhaustion, drink plenty of water and find shade whenever possible.

You can find more tips for dealing with extreme heat and keeping pets safe here.