Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke
Someone suffering from heat exhaustion may experience:
· Excess sweating
· Nausea and vomiting
· Feeling faint
· Extreme tiredness
· Headache
· Muscle cramps
Heat exhaustion doesn't usually cause problems. The affected person should be treated by removing them from the situation causing the problem and by replacing the lost fluids and salt. They need to:
· Rest in a cool place, eg an air-conditioned room.
· Sip cool and salty drinks
They should keep doing this until they feel better.
Heatstroke
If a person with heat exhaustion continues to be exposed to heat, they are in danger of developing the more serious and life-threatening condition of heatstroke.
Here, the bodies cooling mechanisms malfunction and are no longer able to assist the body in losing enough heat. The temperature of the body rises and the following symptoms may be experienced:
· Confusion
· Disorientation
· Rapid and shallow breathing
· Fits
Heatstroke is a medical emergency
If left untreated, an affected person may very quickly slip into a coma. Some people die from heatstroke as a result of heart failure, kidney failure or brain damage.
The person should be admitted to hospital as an emergency. They will usually be cared for in an intensive care unit where their body temperature will be lowered to a safe level.
Who's at risk?
Everyone's at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Some people are more at risk than others, including:
· Babies, children and the elderly, who have less efficient body cooling systems.
· People suffering from diarrhoea, who are more likely to become dehydrated.
· People from cooler climates who travel to hotter climates, as it may take a while for their bodies to get used to the heat. Being in areas of high humidity also increases a person's risk, as this reduces the efficiency of sweating and decreases the amount of heat lost from the body.
· Those who drink excessive amounts of alcohol, which dehydrates the body.
· People with certain medical conditions that reduce the efficiency of the body's cooling mechanisms. For example diabetes, obesity and chronic heart failure.
Prevention
· Keep in the shade as much as possible. Open car windows in hot weather.
· Drink lots of water.
· Avoid alcohol.
· Take it easy on hot days - don't over exert yourself.
