Heat Stroke: Common Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention
Heat stroke, also known as heat stroke, is a dangerous illness that occurs when your internal body temperature exceeds 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). Caused by high temperatures, if left untreated, it could damage many of your internal organs, including your brain. Avoiding this, especially in the hot summer months, is very important. The easiest way to ensure that you stay healthy is to drink plenty of water. Drinking water can be made more enjoyable by adding flavors or motivating yourself with a reward for drinking more than 8 glasses of water a day.
Symptoms of heat stroke
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vomiting
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Headache
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confusion or agitation
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muscular weakness
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Don’t sweat in the heat
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seizures
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Nausea
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Fast pulse or fast breathing
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Fainting
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loss of appetite
Prevention of heat stroke
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Keep hydrated! Staying hydrated prevents you from losing too much fluid in your body through sweating.
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Wear loose clothing. As much as you want to wear as little clothing as possible, wearing baggy, billowy clothing is much better at keeping you cool due to how little it touches your body, while also protecting you from the sun’s damaging rays.
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USE SUNSCREEN!!! This should go without saying, but sunscreen should be applied regularly and should only contain SPF 30 or higher.
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Try to avoid being outside. Less sun exposure means less risk.
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Try not to drink a lot of alcohol or coffee. Both drinks are dehydrating, and staying hydrated is one of your main defenses against heat stroke.
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Avoid heavy exercise
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Invest in a fan. For a floor fan, try this best-selling oscillating.
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Eating foods with a high concentration of water, such as watermelon, cucumber and celery.
First aid for heat stroke
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Call 911 right away if you suspect someone has heat stroke. The longer you wait for medical treatment, the worse the condition will be.
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Keep them as cool as possible. Move them to an air-conditioned area, if you can, or at least as far out of direct sunlight as you can.
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Put them in cool water, such as a shower or bath. Natural bodies of water also work, as long as they are cold and the patient is not at risk of drowning.
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Air them out while spraying them with cold water.
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Put them in an ice bath, BUT only if they got heat stroke from exercising. It is dangerous to put children or the elderly in an ice bath, and especially if it was not kept up during exercise.
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Put ice packs on sensitive places near blood vessels. Ice packs are best around the neck, armpits, groin, back, and inside of the knees. You can buy a pack of 24 disposable ice packs and keep them in your first aid kit in case of an emergency.
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Make them drink lots of water.
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Check your body temperature regularly
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Make sure he is lying down, with his feet slightly supported.
Increased risk of heat stroke Included people with:
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Diabetes
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alcoholism
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Hypertension
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Physically strenuous jobs, such as gardening.
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recreational drug use
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Mental illness
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Certain medications, including antihistamines, diuretics, SSRIs, antipsychotics, and heart medications.
Never leave children or pets in the car on a hot day. Between the year 2000 and 2017, more than 500 children have died from being left in the car. Pets, especially dogs, are even more susceptible to heat. The interior of a parked car can quickly reach 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaving a broken window doesn’t do much, and it’s recommended that you take your pet into the store and leave them in the shade with a bowl of water, if possible. Occasionally children have been left behind in the back seats of cars. There are many ways around this, such as leaving your wallet in the back seat next to them. If a child is left on purpose in a car, the guardian may be subject to prosecution.
Swimming can be a good way to stay cool, but always remember to drink water and apply sunscreen. Another way to stay cool and have fun this summer is to explore some. Museums and libraries are often air-conditioned, along with some interesting things you may not have seen before. Heat exhaustion is often a precursor to heat stroke, so if you feel fatigued after spending time in the sun, get somewhere cool as soon as possible and start rehydrating.
