[Young journalist Sookyung Her] On the 7th, the Seoul National University Hospital issued the health guidlines about the heat advisory especially for patients with chronic conditions like hypertension and diabetes. The hospital emphasized that sufficient hydration is important to prevent blood sugar fluctuations and dehydration, and said not to change the amount of medications.

During the heat wave, the biggest threat for the patients with chronic conditions is dehydration. Lack of water causes lower blood presure and reduces blood flow to the brain, which could cause dizziness, orthostatic hypotension, and falls.

A common misconception is that people should consume extra salt simply because they have sweated heavily. Since sweat contains less salt than blood, heavily sweating can concentrate sodium levels in the blood. Therefore, rather than looking for salty foods, people should drink enough water.

People with chronic conditions should especially pay attention to having adequate hydration. Diuretics can increase the urine output, causing dehydration and electrolyte imbalances while diabetes medications in the SGLT2 inhibitor class could also lead to dehydration as they cause the body to excrete glucose through urine.

While dealing with heat - related illnesses, if body temperature rises above 40℃ and symptoms of staggering ataxia or abnormal behavior are different from usual, heatstroke should be suspected and immediate medical care should be necessary, even if there is no loss of consciousness.

Also cold showers or excessive temperature differences could affect the autonomic nervous system and increase cardiovascular burden. Therefore, lifestyle measures like maintaining appropriate cooling and reducing the amount of aerobic exercise to 20–30% must be carried out in parallel. 

A professor of the Department of Cardiology of Seoul National University Hospital, Lee Haeyeong, said “Even if the reading of blood pressure is lower than usual during summer, patients shoulding lower or stop their amount of medcation on their own.” and added, “Patients should try to hydrate themselves with sufficient water, despite this, the safest way is to consult the medical staff in charge”.

Park Minsun, the professor of departmen of family medicene said, “Even if there is a decrease in the blood pressure during summer, patients shouldn’t arbitrarily stop or reduce thier medication. Consultation with medical staff with a pre-prepared record of blood pressure and symptoms is the safest approach. 

Also, a professor of Emergency Medicine, Kim Taekyun, said, “If the body temperature is above 40℃, and has unusual action, heatstroke should be suspected and requires immediate medications.” He also advised that “During the heatwave, people should prevent dehydration through enough hydration and relaxation, and be sensitive even in small changes from their body.”

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