As a heat wave grips the East Coast, health professionals are warning that individuals with mental illness, particularly those prescribed psychiatric medication, are at risk of heat intolerance. Research shows that psychiatric hospitalizations tend to rise during summer months, and certain medications may impair the body’s ability to regulate temperature.
Research on hospitalizations and heat
Studies have long documented a connection between high temperatures and spikes in mental health emergencies. One study in the European Journal of Psychiatry found that “higher temperatures may trigger bipolar disorder relapses that require hospital admission and higher expositions to sunlight may increase the risk of manic episodes.”
But why?
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According to a report by Scientific American, about one in six Americans takes some type of psychiatric drug.
There are various reasons why psychiatric hospitalizations spike in the summer, including body inflammation. Rebecca Barbee, a psychiatric physician’s assistant, told ABC News that the condition affects how the body internally regulates sleep and wake cycles and may trigger a manic or depressive episode in individuals with bipolar depression.
People on antidepressants, anxiety medications or antipsychotic drugs are more likely to suffer from heat intolerance during the heat of summer because these medications can make it difficult for people to know when they are dehydrated, according to medical health professionals.
“A lot of people aren’t aware that those medications can affect their body’s ability to regulate its body temperature,” said Barbee. “Just the fact that we’re taking a medication, it can make it harder to sweat appropriately, harder for our body’s internal thermometer to regulate and know when we’re going too hot.”
What are the symptoms of heat intolerance and how can people prevent it?
According to the Anxiety & Depression Association of America, the side effects of heat intolerance can include profuse sweating or lack of sweat, dizziness, lightheadedness, nausea, vomiting, tiredness, changes in emotions or confusion.
Barbee recommends that individuals who are on prescriptions for mental health disorders speak with their physician and see if their medications put them in danger of not being able to properly regulate their body temperature. For people who may be prone to heat intolerance, Barbee urges them to drink plenty of water, dress light, reduce physical activity and stay cool in the shade or using fans if they have to be outdoors.
She also encourages family members and those caring for people with mental health disorders to make sure they have air conditioning and fans readily available, as well as take breaks from outdoor activities.
When can Americans expect relief from the heat?
These recommendations come as a heat wave covers the East Coast, with heat warnings and advisories in effect for around 150 million Americans from Texas to Maine. Meteorologists forecast temperatures to cool by Thursday, June 26.
