Monday, July 1, 2013
Beat the Heat: Know the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Fun in the sun can turn dangerous quickly if you're not taking the proper steps to ensure your safety.
Written by Suzanna Cisneros
When you begin to feel the symptoms of heat exhaustion, rest in a cool place and drink plenty of water.
Summer is here and the West Texas weather can be hot. Franklyn Babb, M.D., Texas Tech Physicians – Family Medicine, said what you may not know is that extremely hot weather can be harmful if not fatal.
What is heat-related illness, what causes it, what do you do if you have the symptoms and how you can prevent harm to yourself?
“Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are forms of heat-related illness. Heat exhaustion is the term applied to milder forms of this illness,” Babb said. “It is caused by exposure to high temperatures. The temperature outside can be as low as 91 degrees Fahrenheit if the humidity is high or 104 degrees Fahrenheit for our average level of humidity in West Texas.”
These temperatures could cause your body to retain too much heat and cause heat exhaustion with symptoms that include:
- Heavy sweating
- Feeling weak/confused
- Fast heartbeat
- Dark-colored urine
Babb said these symptoms seem bad enough for most people to pay attention. However, young athletes in competitive sports often try to ignore these warning signs. This could quickly progress to worsening of symptoms and heat stroke.
“Athletes, young or adult, can acclimate to hot weather activities if given several days to slowly build their tolerance,” Babb said. “They should always maintain good water consumption. Older patients and the very young are susceptible as well and can develop these symptoms over the course of hours to days in spite of not being involved in sports. Ignoring the symptoms above places people at risk to develop heat stroke. To keep that from happening rest in a cool place and drink plenty of water. Do not resume activity in the heat until the symptoms pass and be careful to watch for reappearance of symptoms.”
Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that can lead to death. If someone you know is experiencing the following symptoms call 911 and get them to someplace cool. While you are waiting for EMS, unclothe them as much as is possible and actively cool them off with cool/cold water, fans, or immersion up to the neck. These are the warning signs:
- Skin that feels hot but not sweaty
- Confusion/hallucinations or loss of consciousness
- Frequent vomiting
- Difficulty breathing
- Severe headache
- Temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit
People sometimes engage in partying during hot weather and that can make the situation more dangerous. Combine severe heat with alcohol, cocaine, methamphetamine or tranquilizers, and you put yourself at more risk.
“The reason is these drugs negatively alter the body’s ability to dissipate heat and predispose those who consume them to dehydration,” Babb said. “Prescription medications can also elevate your risk, especially blood pressure medications and antihistamines. You should be careful with exposure to heat if taking prescription medications. Fortunately, you can reduce your risk to heat-related illness by following some simple guidelines.”
To protect yourself and those you love from heat exhaustion or heat stroke, do the following:
- Stay out of the heat by scheduling outdoor activities in the early morning
- Wear loose fitting, light colored clothing
- Find or create shade
- Drink plenty of water and avoid caffeinated or alcoholic beverages
- Take frequent breaks from strenuous activity in the heat
Enjoy outdoor activities and your summer by using common sense approaches like these. Stay cool.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, (806) 743-2143.
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Department of Family and Community Medicine
The Department of Family and Community Medicine provides high-quality health care and educational experiences. Working as a team of health care providers and educators, we advance a unique model of patient care characterized by:
- Comprehensive and integrated care of the whole person over time, tailored to the individual’s values and choices
- Care of all ages, socioeconomic statuses, ethnicities, health statuses and both genders
- Wellness and prevention
- Relationships and collaborations based on active and open communication and trust
- Wise and practical application of knowledge
Texas Tech Physicians
Clinics are located in Amarillo, El Paso, Lubbock and the Permian Basin, encompassing 108 counties of Texas and New Mexico comprising 103,000 square miles with a population of 2.6 million people.
Receiving care in a medical school setting is unique – many Texas Tech Physicians are also teachers. They must remain up-to-date in new treatments and diagnostics, not only to care for their patients, but also to pass on that knowledge to resident physicians, physicians studying in fellowships and medical students.