If your marathon training has run head on into the brutal
Texas sun, it’s probably time to rethink your workout.
“In the emergency department, we get lots of runners
showing symptoms of heat exhaustion — dizziness,
disorientation, and headaches,” says Brad Sellers, DO,
emergency medicine physician at Methodist Dallas Medical
Center. “Usually, they’ve had too much exposure to the
sun or they haven’t been eating or drinking properly while
training. It’s really important for outdoor athletes to adjust
their habits according to the seasons.”
That means:
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Drinking fluid before, during, and after running
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Taking in plenty of nutritious carbohydrates and proteins
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Limiting outdoor workouts to before 10 a.m. or after 6 p.m.
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Selecting running trails with long stretches of shady
spots, like White Rock Lake or the Katy Trail
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Being aware of ozone alert days. “If you have a history
of asthma, these are days to not overexert yourself,”
Dr. Sellers advises. “And make sure you’re taking your
inhaler or other medications, like antihistamines, per
your doctor’s recommendations.”
New stroke prevention guidelines just for you
For the first time ever, there are guidelines
specific to women for preventing stroke.
And considering that about 55,000 more
women than men have a stroke each
year, it’s worth taking them to heart.
Issued by the American Heart
Association/American Stroke Association
(AHA/ASA), the guidelines are based on
research identifying unique risk factors,
mostly connected to reproductive history.
Here are a few of the new guidelines:
Providers should consider prescribing
low-dose aspirin for women with
a history of high blood pressure
before pregnancy.
Women should be screened for high
blood pressure before deciding to
go on birth control, because the
combination can raise stroke risks.
Because preeclampsia doubles a
woman’s stroke risk later in life, early
efforts should be made to quit smoking,
lower cholesterol, and reduce obesity.
Methodist Dallas Medical Center
•
❁
Summer 2014
5
NEED TO GO TO THE
EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT?
Now you can wait on your
sofa instead of in the
waiting room when you check
in first a
Attention, ladies
BE IN THE KNOW
To learn more about wome
the AHA/ASA infographic at
r
talk to a primary care provide
k, visit
call
2
Training?
Don’t get sidelined
by summer heat
