After a slow start to summer, it is easy to welcome a few days of proper heat. But with red heat warnings now in place for parts of the UK, this is not just ordinary warm weather. When temperatures rise quickly, it can soon become less about picnics and more about restless nights, warm commutes and trying to keep everyone cool.
While sunshine is always welcome, a heatwave can affect health quickly. Older adults, babies and young children, people with long-term health conditions, people taking certain medications and anyone who is already feeling unwell may need to take extra care.
For many people, simple steps such as staying cool, drinking fluids and avoiding the hottest part of the day can help. But if you start to feel weak, dizzy, dehydrated, faint or unusually exhausted, it is important not to simply push through.
Travelling to a clinic in very hot weather may not always be the best first step. Depending on your symptoms, a telephone or video consultation may be suitable. If a physical examination is needed, Doctorcall can arrange a private GP home visit, helping you access medical advice without unnecessary travel.
Feeling Unwell In The Heat?
Doctorcall provides private GP home visits in London, helping patients access medical advice without unnecessary travel during very hot weather.
Why Hot Weather Can Affect Health
When temperatures rise, the body has to work harder to keep cool. This can lead to dehydration, heat exhaustion and, in more serious cases, heatstroke.
Heat exhaustion can cause symptoms such as tiredness, dizziness, headache, feeling sick, muscle cramps, excessive sweating, thirst, weakness or feeling faint. These symptoms should improve within 30 minutes once the person is moved somewhere cooler, cooled down and given fluids. If symptoms do not improve within 30 minutes, or if they worsen, this may be more serious than heat exhaustion and you should seek urgent medical help. NHS guidance on heat exhaustion and heatstroke explains when symptoms may need urgent help.
Heatstroke is more serious. It can happen if the body is no longer able to cool itself properly and needs urgent medical help.
Hot weather can also make existing health conditions harder to manage. This can include heart, lung, kidney and neurological conditions, as well as conditions that affect mobility, memory or the ability to recognise thirst or overheating.
Some medications can also affect how the body responds to heat. If you take regular medication and are worried about hot weather, speak to a pharmacist, GP or relevant healthcare professional for advice. You should seek medical guidance before stopping prescribed medication.
Who Should Take Extra Care During A Heatwave?
Some people are more likely to become unwell during hot weather.
Those who should take extra care include:
- Older adults
- Babies and young children
- People with long-term health conditions
- People taking certain medications
- People who are already unwell
- People living alone
- People who may find it harder to keep themselves cool
- People who work outdoors
- People who need to travel during the hottest part of the day
Families may also want to check in on older relatives, neighbours or anyone who may struggle to stay cool at home. UKHSA hot weather advice highlights practical ways to reduce the health risks of hot weather.
For visitors staying in London, hot weather can be particularly difficult if they are unfamiliar with the city, staying in a hotel, attending events or travelling between meetings. If symptoms develop while away from home, getting medical advice early can help avoid unnecessary stress and travel.
Simple Ways To Stay Well In The Heat
Small practical steps can make a real difference during a heatwave.
Try to:
- Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day
- Drink fluids regularly
- Avoid excess alcohol
- Keep rooms cool where possible
- Close curtains or blinds on sun-facing windows
- Wear light, loose clothing
- Avoid unnecessary strenuous activity
- Plan essential travel for cooler parts of the day where possible
- Check on older relatives, neighbours or anyone living alone
- Keep up to date with current weather and health alerts
It can also help to rest in the coolest room available, take cool showers or baths, or cool the skin with water and a cloth.
Babies, young children, older people and pets should never be left in stationary cars or other closed spaces, as these can become dangerously hot very quickly.
When It May Be Better Not To Travel
If you feel unwell during a heatwave, travelling across the city can make things harder.
This is especially true if you feel weak, dizzy, faint, dehydrated, exhausted or concerned about your symptoms. Heat, crowded transport, walking outside and waiting in warm spaces can all add to the strain on the body.
If you are feeling unwell during a heatwave, it may be safer and more comfortable to seek advice before travelling. Depending on the situation, a telephone or video consultation may be suitable. If a physical examination is needed, a GP home visit can help avoid unnecessary travel.
This can be particularly helpful for older patients, people with long-term conditions, families with young children, hotel guests and anyone who feels too unwell to leave home safely.
However, if symptoms are severe or suggest heatstroke, this should be treated as urgent. In that situation, do not wait for a GP appointment and call 999 immediately.
When To Seek Medical Advice
You should seek medical advice if symptoms continue, worsen or cause concern.
It may be time to speak to a doctor, pharmacist or NHS 111 if you or someone you care for has:
- Dizziness or feeling faint
- An ongoing headache
- Vomiting or feeling very sick
- Signs of dehydration
- Unusual weakness or exhaustion
- Symptoms in an older or vulnerable person
- Worsening of an existing health condition
- Concern about medication during hot weather
It is better to ask for advice early, especially if the person affected is older, very young, already unwell or living with a long-term condition.
Visiting London During Summer?
If you are visiting London during hot weather, a little planning can make it easier to stay well, especially when travelling with children, older relatives or anyone with ongoing health concerns.
When Heat Illness Needs Urgent Help
Heatstroke is a medical emergency.
Call 999 if someone has signs of heatstroke or severe illness, including:
- Still feeling very unwell after 30 minutes of resting somewhere cool, being cooled and drinking fluids
- Symptoms worsening despite cooling down, resting and drinking fluids
- Confusion or unusual behaviour
- Loss of coordination
- Collapse
- Seizure
- Loss of consciousness
- Fast breathing or shortness of breath
- Chest pain
- A very high temperature
- Hot skin that is not sweating
Do not wait for all symptoms to appear. If you are seriously concerned, seek urgent medical help.
How Doctorcall Can Help During A Heatwave
During very hot weather, leaving home to seek medical advice may feel difficult or uncomfortable, especially if you are already unwell.
Doctorcall can help by arranging private GP care in a way that suits the patient’s situation. This may include:
- Private GP home visits
- Telephone consultations
- Video consultations where suitable
- Medical support at home, in hotels or other suitable locations
- Advice for older patients, visitors, families and people who feel too unwell to travel
A GP can assess symptoms, discuss possible causes and advise on appropriate next steps. If an examination is needed and the situation is not an emergency, a home visit can provide medical support without the added strain of unnecessary travel in the heat.
For severe symptoms or signs of heatstroke, call 999.
FAQs
What should I do if I feel unwell during a heatwave?
Move somewhere cooler, rest and drink fluids. You can also cool your skin with water or a cool cloth. If symptoms continue, worsen or you are concerned, seek medical advice. If symptoms do not improve within 30 minutes after cooling down, or if they worsen, call 999.
Should I travel to a clinic if I feel unwell in the heat?
If you are feeling weak, dizzy, dehydrated or generally unwell, it may be better to seek advice before travelling. A phone or video consultation may be suitable, or a GP home visit may be arranged if an examination is needed.
If symptoms are severe or suggest heatstroke, call 999.
Who is most at risk during hot weather?
Older adults, babies, young children, people with long-term conditions, people taking certain medications, people living alone and those already unwell may be more vulnerable during hot weather.
Can Doctorcall visit me at home during a heatwave?
Yes. Doctorcall provides private GP home visits, as well as telephone and video consultations where suitable.
When is heat illness an emergency?
Heat illness may be an emergency if someone remains very unwell after 30 minutes of cooling down, resting and drinking fluids, or if symptoms worsen despite these steps. It may also be an emergency if someone is confused, collapses, has a seizure, loses consciousness, has chest pain, has difficulty breathing or shows any other signs of heatstroke. Call 999.
Speak To Doctorcall
If you are feeling unwell during the heatwave and would rather not travel, Doctorcall can help arrange a private GP home visit, or a telephone or video consultation where suitable.
Doctorcall provides private GP care at home, in hotels and other suitable locations, helping patients access medical advice without unnecessary travel during very hot weather.
References
-
NHS. Heat Exhaustion And Heatstroke.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/heat-exhaustion-heatstroke/ -
UK Health Security Agency. Beat The Heat: Staying Safe In Hot Weather.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/beat-the-heat-hot-weather-advice/beat-the-heat-staying-safe-in-hot-weather -
Met Office. Heat-health Alert Service.
https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/heat-health-alert-service -
UKHSA Data Dashboard. Heat Health Alerts.
https://ukhsa-dashboard.data.gov.uk/weather-health-alerts/heat