The excessive heat in North Texas has claimed the lives of two more people, with Denton County and Hood County reporting fatalities related to heat-related illness.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, heat-related calls for first responder service have been on the rise as temperature highs continue to linger in and around the 100s this month.
First responders with the Lake Cities Fire Department reportedly received a call about a medical emergency at a Corinth senior living facility. They transported a 76-year-old woman to the hospital, where she died of hyperthermia or heat-related illness.
“She had a walker out here every day walking her, and she was doing so well. I was shocked to find out that she had passed because she was a blessing to all of us that knew her,” said June Tucker, who lived near the woman, according to NBC 5 DFW.
In Hood County, first responders found a 72-year-old Granbury man in his home. He died in a hospital in Fort Worth not long after. His wife is currently hospitalized in Somervell County.
According to NBC 5, the cause of death was reportedly the same for the 72-year-old man: hyperthermia or heat-related illness.
Hyperthermia occurs when the body overheats, typically due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures. It can lead to heat exhaustion or heat stroke, with symptoms like dizziness, nausea, confusion, and fainting.
Dallas County reported its first heat-related death earlier this month, with a 79-year-old woman succumbing to heat-related illness, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses because their bodies are less efficient at regulating temperature. Age-related factors like poor circulation, chronic health conditions, and medications can impair sweating and thirst response, increasing the risk of dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Limited mobility and social isolation may also delay help, according to the CDC.