Doctor from Yale on staying safe in extreme heat ^{CEFR B2}

David Della-Giustina, a Yale emergency medicine specialist, answers questions about heat-related illnesses and safety as temperatures rise. He is a retired US Army colonel with more than 29 years of service and says his combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq exposed him to extreme temperatures. He described military training that emphasized preparing for heat and cold, managing casualties and protecting medical teams — training that informed both clinical care and safety planning.

At Yale School of Medicine he serves as a professor of emergency medicine, vice chair for education of emergency medicine and program director of the Wilderness Medicine Fellowship. These roles combine clinical practice, teaching and the training of medical teams for difficult conditions.

Scientists and health officials report that extreme temperatures are already more frequent, most often in summer, and are expected to become even more frequent and intense in the coming decades because of climate change. As heat increases, so does the risk to people’s health, from heat exhaustion to the more serious heat stroke. The Q&A discusses common heat illnesses, when to seek medical help and how to reduce risk, and it notes that greater awareness and expert guidance can help communities prepare for hotter summers.

• Topics in the Q&A: common heat illnesses.
• When to seek medical help and urgent signs.
• Steps to reduce risk during hot weather.