Summer Dangers: Heatstroke

When there’s a heatwave on, you always hear the newscasters talking about how dangerous it is and the heat-related deaths. But to me at least it never seems quite so serious.

In fact, excessive heat is quite serious. According to the CDC, more Americans died from heat between 1979 and 2003 than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods and earthquakes combined.

Extreme heat puts you at risk for heatstroke, which is when the body gets so hot it can’t regulate its temperature. Basically, you stop being able to sweat to cool down, your temperature rises very high very quickly, and your internal organs start to cook. Possible result: organ damage, permanent disability or death. Symptoms of heatstroke include: temps above 103 degrees F; red, hot and dry skin; no sweating (when you should be sweating); rapid, strong pulse; throbbing headache; dizziness; nausea; confusion; muscle spasms; and loss of consciousness.

Basically the treatment for heatstroke is to try to cool down as quickly as possible. Get yourself (or the victim) to a shady/air-conditioned area, employ cool water (shower, hose, sponge, wrapping in a wet sheet), and of course get emergency medical help. Heatstroke victims should NOT be given fluids. A milder form of heatstroke is heat exhaustion, the features of which include: heavy sweating, pallor, muscle cramping, fatigue, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting, and fainting. Treatment includes: cool drinks, rest, cool shower or bath, and getting into an air conditioned environment.

To prevent heatstroke or heat exhaustion from developing, follow these tips in the hot weather:

Drink. Increase your fluids. Drink before you’re thirsty. Avoid alcoholic beverages (they dehydrate) or ones with lots of sugar.
Drink Gatorade. Sweating doesn’t just lose fluids, it also loses salt and minerals from your body. Balanced sports drinks (a la Gatorade) are tailored to put that back in, so make sure you drink some of those in addition to water.
Dress appropriately. Light-weight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing to allow your body to breathe. Hats and sunglasses are good when you’re in the sun, too.
Wear Sunscreen. Sunburn impacts your body’s ability to cool itself and dehydrates you. So avoid it with the proper sunblock.
Timing. Avoid outdoor activities during the peak heat of the day.
Pace Yourself. Work up to things slowly, it’s less of a shock to your body.
A/C. Even a few hours in air conditioning helps your body do better when it’s out in the heat. If you don’t have it at home, look for places that do–malls, movie theaters, libraries, heat shelters, whatever.