Doctor warns of heat illnesses as temperatures rise [Video]

ENTERPRISE, Ala. (WTVY) – As temperatures reach the upper 90s, coming closer to triple digits, a local pediatrician stresses the importance of taking care of your health.

The U.S. Department of Human Health and Services reported more than 2,300 heat related deaths in 2023, with that number increasing every year since 2020.

The people most likely to be effected by the rising temperatures are people with increased exposure, such as outside workers, and those who have increased sensitivity to heat, including children and the elderly.

“They are a lot more likely to experience the effects of not being able to cool down their body temperature and they’re more likely to experience that quickly,” said Doctor Nola Ernest, a pediatrician with Enterprise Pediatric Clinic, when referring to children under five years old. “Not to mention that they are at higher risk because they can’t get themselves out of the car or …