---
title: "How to stay safe in a heat wave — and the common medicines that raise the risk"
description: "As extreme heat grips parts of the United States, health authorities offer a simple playbook for staying safe — and a lesser-known warning that some everyday medications can make people more vulnerable to heat illness."
category: "Science"
category_url: https://newsparlor.com/category/science
author: "Megan Chen"
published: 2026-06-30T19:22:00.000Z
updated: 2026-06-30T19:22:00.000Z
canonical: https://newsparlor.com/article/heatwave-health-safety-medications-risk
tags: ["health", "heat-wave", "medications", "safety", "public-health"]
---
# How to stay safe in a heat wave — and the common medicines that raise the risk

As extreme heat grips parts of the United States, health authorities offer a simple playbook for staying safe — and a lesser-known warning that some everyday medications can make people more vulnerable to heat illness.

When temperatures climb to dangerous levels, the basics of staying safe are simple — but the details, including how some medicines interact with heat, are worth knowing. This is general guidance, not a substitute for advice from a doctor.

## The basics

Health agencies offer broadly consistent advice. [The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention](https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/about/index.html) urges people to drink more fluids — water is best — even before they feel thirsty, while [Britain's National Health Service](https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/seasonal-health/heatwave-how-to-cope-in-hot-weather/) advises avoiding alcohol and caffeine, which can worsen dehydration. Try to stay out of the heat during the hottest part of the day, roughly late morning to mid-afternoon; spend time in cool or air-conditioned places; and wear loose, light clothing. Never leave children or pets in parked cars, where temperatures can rise to lethal levels in minutes, and check regularly on older or unwell neighbors and relatives.

## Knowing the warning signs

It helps to tell heat exhaustion from heat stroke. Heat exhaustion brings heavy sweating, tiredness, dizziness, nausea and muscle cramps; the response is to move the person somewhere cool, have them sip water and cool their skin with damp cloths, [the CDC says](https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/heat-stress/about/illnesses.html). Heat stroke is a medical emergency: signs include confusion, a very high body temperature, hot skin and loss of consciousness. In that case, call emergency services immediately and try to cool the person while help is on the way.

## Medicines that can add to the risk

Less widely known is that several common medications can make it harder for the body to cope with heat, [as the CDC notes in guidance for clinicians](https://www.cdc.gov/heat-health/hcp/clinical-guidance/heat-and-medications-guidance-for-clinicians.html). Diuretics, or "water pills," increase fluid loss and can worsen dehydration. Beta-blockers and some other heart and blood-pressure drugs can reduce blood flow to the skin, limiting the body's ability to shed heat. And [some medications with "anticholinergic" effects](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11541675/) — found in certain antidepressants, antipsychotics and allergy drugs — can reduce sweating, the body's main cooling mechanism, with some antipsychotics also affecting the brain's temperature control.

The crucial caveat: this does not mean anyone should stop taking a prescribed medicine. People who take these drugs should instead ask their doctor or pharmacist about precautions during hot weather — such as staying especially well hydrated, avoiding exertion in the heat, and watching closely for warning signs.

## Who is most at risk

Some people are more vulnerable than others: older adults, young children, pregnant women, and those with chronic conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, [according to the World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-heat-and-health). Outdoor workers and athletes are exposed through exertion, and people with limited mobility or no access to cooling are at particular risk. For everyone, the advice in a heat wave is the same at its core: keep cool, keep hydrated, look out for one another — and treat the signs of heat stroke as the emergency they are.