SYRACUSE -- Record heat is dangerous for your health in ways you may never have thought of. That's because prescription medication and over the counter pills don't belong in it.
"There are a number of medications that people can be on that can be adversely affected because of the heat," says Dr. Alexander Garrard of the Upstate New York Poison Center.
Insulin, which is used by people with diabetes, is a protein. According to Dr. Garrard, when it gets too hot it can make insulin less effective.
Dr. Garrard says medicine is at risk in temperatures 86 degrees and above. Inhalers can explode in hot weather and shouldn't be kept in cars. Hot temperatures can also alter medicine that contains hormones like birth control pills.
"That's a type of hormone and in the heat that could make it less effective so you might have a surprise down the road you weren't anticipating," Dr. Garrard says.
Medicine should be stored away from sunlight in a cabinet. Dr. Garrard says a kitchen cabinet away from food and children is better than a bathroom cabinet.
"Dry, no humidity, no moisture and out of direct sunlight," Dr. Garrard said.
Remember if you are on medication and outside in these record temperatures be careful because the sun can impact how you react.
