Onvida Health warns extreme Yuma heat can strain the heart
Onvida Health says chest pain, rapid heartbeat, dizziness and fainting during Yuma heat can signal a cardiac emergency, not just dehydration.
Extreme Yuma heat can make the heart beat faster and pump harder, and Onvida Health cardiologist Sowjanya Yenigalla said chest pain, chest pressure, a rapid heartbeat, dizziness and fainting should send residents to the emergency room immediately.
Yenigalla, who is board certified in cardiology and internal medicine and completed her cardiology fellowship at the University of Arizona/Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix, said the body widens blood vessels and increases sweating to stay cool in extreme heat. That process drains water and electrolytes, putting extra strain on the cardiovascular system. For people with heart disease, kidney disease or diabetes, that added work can quickly become dangerous.
Adults over 65 are among the highest-risk groups, along with people taking certain medications, including water pills. Yenigalla warned patients not to stop prescribed medicine without first speaking with a health care provider. Older adults, children, people with mental illness, the homeless population and outdoor workers are among those most vulnerable when temperatures climb.
Heat is the deadliest weather in Arizona, and National Weather Service data show Yuma averages 21 days each year at or above 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the 1991-2020 climate normal. The city hit 53 such days in 1994 and 70 in 2024.
State health officials estimate about 4,298 people visit Arizona emergency rooms every year because of heat-related illnesses. Yuma County’s heat information page lists Arizona with 359 heat-caused deaths and 671 heat-related deaths in 2022.
The U.S. Census Bureau put Yuma County’s population estimate at 224,449 on July 1, 2025, and 21.3% of residents were age 65 or older.
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