Pittsburg, PA
Pittsburgh pharmacist explains how medications can make people susceptible to heat-related illness
A pharmacist warns that certain medications may put people at greater risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
While people in the Pittsburgh area are trying to stay cool in the extreme heat, be aware that some medications don’t mix well with hot weather.
“Heat, humidity and sunlight are all factors that can impact medications and how a person responds to them,” said Trisha Miller, a pharmacist at UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside.
She said it’s important to know if your meds can put you at higher risk for heat-related illnesses. Medications that increase risk from heat include diuretics, beta blockers, anticholinergics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, antihistamines, antibiotics, antifungals and more.
“Some medications, like diuretics, these are frequently called water pills,” Miller said. “They can lead to volume depletion or electrolyte imbalances and increase the risk of someone becoming dehydrated. Other medications, like certain antipsychotics or anti-seizure medications, can impair somebody’s ability to sweat or regulate their body temperatures and lead to their body becoming overheated. And then there are certain types of antibiotics or acne medications that increase photosensitivity, which is when there’s a sensitivity to sunlight or UV rays that can lead to sunburns.”
Miller also said to never leave medications in hot places.
“Medications should never be stored or left in cars. Most medications, unless it specifically tells you different directions, should be stored at room temperature, protected from sunlight, and from humidity. … We don’t want to necessarily have them near windows that might get direct sunlight,” she said.
But if you have to go out in the scorching heat, stay hydrated. Miller added to act quickly if you’re feeling off.
“That can be lightheadedness, that can be dizziness, that can be short of breath, headaches. I think catching those signs early and reaching out to their providers to make sure that things don’t escalate because things can escalate very quickly in heat,” Miller said.
If you don’t know how your medications react to heat or how to store them, just ask your pharmacist.
Pittsburg, PA
About 5 pounds of bees removed from Acrisure Stadium scaffolding ahead of Morgan Wallen concerts
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
On Sept. 17, multi-platinum country music star Luke Bryan will bring his Farm Tour to 1846 Farms near Latrobe.
Westmoreland County is no stranger to large outdoor concerts. Some may remember the Rolling Rock Town Fair in the early 2000s, while others may recall Luke Bryan’s stop at a farm in South Huntingdon Township just two years ago. Now the country music superstar is returning to the area.
The Unity Township farm’s general manager, Aleisha Stas, gave KDKA a tour of the family farm, which dates back to before the Civil War. She says Bryan’s team first reached out after finding the farm on social media, but she says at first, she and her family thought it was too good to be true.
“This was around April Fools, so we thought it was an April Fools prank,” Stas said. “My whole family, we were like, there’s no way this is about to happen. But this has been incredible.”
Stas says Bryan’s team is handling everything logistically from parking and bathrooms to deciding exactly where the concert will be staged.
“If we have it on this side of the property, we can hold 12,000 people,” Stas said. “And if we have it on (the other side) of the property, it can be up to 20,000. But we have not determined that yet.”
Many of those decisions will be made as September gets closer. In the meantime, however, the farm is holding off on planting in certain fields until the final concert location is selected.
And while hosting thousands of people may sound a little intimidating, Stas says her family is excited to welcome fans to the farm for what they hope will be a memorable night.
“Obviously, we’ve never had this many people here before, so it will be a new thing for all of us, but we are not worried,” said Stas. “Luke Bryan’s team are experts with this, and I think it will go great.”
Tickets for this concert are currently on sale, and they will run you about $77 per person, plus tax for general admission.
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