MEMPHIS, Tenn. – With dangerous heat expected across the Mid-South for several more days, doctors said the biggest threat isn’t just how hot it gets each afternoon: it’s how long the heat is lasting.
Health experts said prolonged stretches of extreme heat give the body little time to recover, especially when overnight temperatures remain warm. That can lead to cumulative dehydration, increase the risk of heat-related illness, and make outdoor activities more dangerous.
“Part of the reason it’s more dangerous is there’s less recovery time,” said Dr. Cynthia Cross, a pediatric hospitalist at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. “Our houses don’t cool off the way they would if there were a break in the heat. We may be dehydrated already. And then with several days of heat, that just tends to get a bit worse.”…