Arizona heat myths busted by Valley doctor

PHOENIX - We have gotten a lot of great questions about the heat from our FOX 10 viewers and there are some myths out there. So we caught up with a Valley doctor to clear up some of the information so that we can all be safe in the heat.

It feels like walking in an oven, and it's a feeling that many of us expect in July.

"I feel like over the years, Arizonans have gotten very accustomed to this hot weather and generally, know how to take care of themselves," said Dr. Brian Hess, the medical director of emergency services with Abrazo Health.

However, Dr. Hess says we can all do a little bit better taking care of ourselves, so we got his expert opinion on some heat-related questions.

If you leave sunscreen in a hot car, will it still protect you from the UV rays?

"If you leave your sunscreen in the car, it could reduce its effectiveness over time, much like if you left your cologne or perfume in the car, and you notice the smell isn't quite as strong overtime," he said. "It's the same thing with sunscreen, you want to keep it at room temperature."

He says SPF 50 or above is the best.

If you leave a plastic bottle of water in a hot car or outside and drink the water, will you ingest a lot of plastic?

"If you do leave water in the car in a plastic bottle with time, it will leach into the water," said. Dr. Hess. It’s generally a good idea to keep that water on you as well, so that you aren't ingesting those chemicals. The studies do show it’s not dangerous, but I don't think any of us like the idea of ingesting chemicals."

If medication is left in a hot car or outside in the heat, will the medication still be effective?

"You could consider medication kind of like a sunscreen," he said. "You want to keep sunscreen at room temperature just like medication."

If it's an EpiPen or Narcan, always take it with you.

How much water do we really need to be drinking to stay hydrated?

"In general, a normal-sized man, it should be about a gallon of water a day," he said. "For women, it's about 70% of a gallon."

If you eat fruit like a watermelon, does that count towards your daily hydration?

"Yeah, foods that are high in water are great," he said. "Watermelon is a great thing to eat in the summertime and very refreshing and will certainly help you hydrate."

Dr. Hess adds an easy way to hydrate is to have a glass of water while you're making your coffee in the morning, and then have water throughout the day with every meal.