It’s summertime, and it’s quite common for people to suffer from heat-related illnesses this season. Although the human body has an inbuilt mechanism that helps maintain a normal temperature (by transferring heat through sweating and thermoregulation process), still, hot weather and high humidity may adversely affect the body’s natural cooling system, resulting in a heat-related sickness.
In this blog, we are going to talk about some significant heat-related illnesses and their effective treatments.
Who Is Prone To A Heat-Related Illness?
Anyone can suffer from a heat-related sickness. However, older adults, infants, little kids, the obese, and individuals with chronic conditions are more likely to contract it.
Types Of Heat-Related Illnesses
Heat exhaustion happens when your body experiences an excessive loss of water and salt due to continuous physical activity in a hot environment – it can be work, exercising, or anything else. In such a case, the temperature of the body remains either normal or mildly elevated but never goes above 104 degrees. Heat exhaustion is common for individuals who do not have a habit of working in the heat. A case of heat exhaustion can easily be treated without any hospital visit. However, if not treated on time, it can develop into a heatstroke that can prove to be fatal for a person.
Symptoms Of Heat Exhaustion
● Elevated Body Temperature
● Heavy Sweating
● Muscle Cramps
Treatment For Heat Exhaustion
● Move the person to a cool environment and lie him down. Make sure that his feet are slightly above the head level.
● Loosen his clothing, so that the air can pass through easily
● Make him drink cool but non-alcoholic beverages, such as water, juice, or sports drinks.
● Feed him some snacks, preferably salty ones.
● Have him take a cold bath.
● Let him rest in a shaded place, or an air-conditioned room.
Seek medical assistance immediately if you find the symptoms worsening or if the person has a critical health problem like heart disease.
When a person suffers from a heat stroke, he needs immediate medical help. Heatstroke is a severe heat-related illness that can sometimes lead to a life-threatening situation like death or disability. This happens when a person’s body completely loses its ability to regulate the internal temperature, which then rises above 104 degrees, damaging the brain and other vital organs. The severity of the problem usually depends on the amount of a person’s exposure to excessive heat.
Symptoms Of Heat Stroke
● Very High Body Temperature (Above 104 F)
● Red, Hot Skin
● No Or Less Sweating
● Increased Heart Rate
● Difficulty In Breathing
● Loss Of Coordination
● Loss Of Consciousness Or Coma
Treatment For Heat Stroke
Know that it’s an emergency, and call for immediate medical help. You can do a few things while the help is arriving.
● Move the person to a cool area and remove his restrictive clothing.
● Apply various cooling methods. For example, placing the person under the shower or in a bathtub filled with cold water. Place ice packs on a person’s armpits, neck, and groin area. Wrap the person in a wet cloth or sheet and fan him continuously.
● Keep a check on the body temperature. Take cooling measures until the temperature has dropped to 102 F.
● If the person is awake, give him some fluids. Make sure that the drinks are non-alcoholic.
● If the medical help is taking time to arrive, call the emergency room to ask for further instructions.
● If the individual is experiencing a seizure, make sure to keep him from injuring himself. Also, in case he is vomiting, lie him down sideways to prevent choking.
This is how you deal with a heat-related illness. We hope that you will take the preventive measures beforehand to avoid heat exhaustion. Also, make sure to drink plenty of water this summer!