How to prevent heat stroke

Heatstroke can turn into heat stroke if you don’t cool down in time

Everything looks better when the sun is shining. But sunbathing or exercising in the heat is not without risk, especially if you are a bit older. How do you prevent heat stroke or, even worse, heat stroke?

What Happens With Sunstroke?

When it’s hot, your body loses moisture by sweating. The sweat on your skin evaporates and so the body cools itself. With a sunstroke, your body has become too hot and too dry. You usually see bright red and perspire profusely. You can get dizzy, have a headache, feel weak, sometimes vomit and feel very warm.

When are you at greater risk of heat stroke?

The risk of heat stroke is greatest with exertion, such as heavy work or sports. Drinking alcohol, sitting or walking in the sun without a cap or hat and staying in the blazing sun for a long time is also not wise. People who take drugs are at a higher risk. For example, water tablets, which remove moisture from the body.

What should you do in case of sunstroke?

When you’ve been out in the sun for too long and you start to get symptoms of overheating, it’s important to take action right away. If you become lightheaded or very thirsty, sit in a cool place and drink plenty of water or something with salt in it. If necessary, you can cool your neck and face with a wet sponge or cloth. If it doesn’t get better, call your doctor. Calling 911 is necessary if someone is constantly vomiting, is confused or has passed out and is still not conscious after two minutes. Heat stroke can turn into heat stroke if you don’t cool down in time.

What is heat stroke?

Due to various reasons, the body can get into a situation where it cannot give off enough heat. High humidity makes it harder for the body to evaporate sweat and therefore give off heat. If the ambient temperature or lack of wind is too high, other cooling mechanisms of the body also work less well. In the case of heat stroke, the body’s temperature rises to a dangerous level, above 41°C. As a result, the proteins in the body cells are deformed, resulting in often irreparable damage to organs and brains. Sometimes even death. Fortunately, heat stroke is rare.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

The complaints vary from person to person. Some people look pale because there is less blood going to the skin, and feel cold. The latter is misleading, it can then seem as if you need to be warmed up. But the opposite is true. Your body is extremely hot but cannot get rid of the heat. Other people see very red and feel warm to the touch. With heat stroke, you usually don’t sweat and your heart rate rises quickly. In the early stages of heat stroke you are nauseous and you have to vomit, you have loss of coordination and you are dizzy. With heat stroke you have less or no control over your muscles, you will sway and have difficulty speaking, you get a blurry vision, you react confused and you can go into a coma.

When does heat stroke develop?

Heat stroke occurs with strenuous exercise, possibly in combination with warm weather. It can also happen at home. The same risk factors apply to heat stroke as to heat stroke. Athletes are a special risk group. During intense exercise, your body produces energy inefficiently. Only 15-25 percent of this energy is used for movement, the rest is released as heat. The body has to get rid of it in order not to overheat. During exercise it is normal for your body temperature to rise to 38 or 39 degrees. Above that is dangerous.

Who else is at higher risk?

Elderly. Around the age of sixty, the heat regulation in your body decreases. You have fewer active sweat glands and your body responds more slowly to a heat problem. Moreover, the elderly drink less because the thirst stimulus is less present. Excess mortality during a heat wave is often related to heat strokes.

What should you do if someone is bothered by the heat at home?

A very warm body is the first sign. Alarm bells should ring if someone feels unwell, urinates little and the urine is dark. The heart rate increases because dehydration reduces blood volume. It is then important to ventilate, if possible, and to rub the arms and legs with a wet sponge. This creates a layer of moisture on the skin and the body can still give off heat with the help of the fan.

What if the symptoms indicate heat stroke?

The sooner someone is treated, the better. The most important thing is to cool immediately, preferably all over the body and as cold as possible, for example under a cold shower or in a cold bath where the water is constantly refreshed. If these options are not available, place wet towels all over your body and keep them cold. Call 911 if someone keeps vomiting, is confused, or has passed out.

Can you recover from heat stroke?

How the body reacts after heat stroke varies from person to person. Some victims recover quickly and make a full recovery. In others, the rehabilitation takes years and residual complaints remain. What is certain is that prompt treatment limits the damage. That’s why marathons nowadays have ice baths ready after the finish in which overheated athletes can cool off.