Contact: media@bannerhealth.com

PHOENIX (May 8, 2018) - Temperatures over 100 degrees are hitting Phoenix and south-central Arizona this week. The heat wave is expected to last until Thursday with temperatures about 10 to 15 degrees above normal for this time of year.

Medical experts in the emergency department can share with your viewers and readers what to keep in mind as the temperatures start to rise; dehydration, heat exhaustion and other heat-related illnesses can impact children, the elderly, those who work outside and people without access to air-conditioning much more.

In a downloadable interview Moneesh Bhow, MD, emergency department medical director at Banner - University Medical Center Phoenix, shares signs and symptoms of heat stroke, dehydration and heat exhaustion, when to seek medical attention and how best to prevent a heat-related illness.

Robert Porter, DO, emergency department director at Banner Goldfield Medical Center, shares helpful tips for summer hikers and addresses if sports drinks are a good alternative to water in a ready-to-edit video.

Lastly, mail-in prescriptions are also susceptible when metal mailboxes can be 150 degrees during hotter days, some medications can lose their effectiveness. Banner Pharmacy Services suggests consumers visit their mailbox more frequently in the hotter months.