THE DO’S AND DON’T’S FOR PREVENTING HEAT STROKE by Sharleece E. Bellagosi

The summer boasts of temperatures ranging from 90 to 100 degrees. Hot summers with high temperatures often result in heat-related illnesses like heat stroke. Heat stroke is a medical emergency manifesting signs and symptoms: a high temperature, dry skin, red or flushed skin, nausea, dizziness, lack of sweat, vomiting, headache, difficulty breathing, and confusion, fatigue, and muscle cramps. Untreated heat stroke could lead to coma and/death. Therefore, knowing how to prevent heat stroke is essential.

·         Do take rest periods when you are outside.

Resting prevents your body from overheating through activity.

·         Do drink plenty of fluids like water

Drinking plenty of fluids prevents dehydration through fluid loss due to sweating. Sweating helps the body to cool down in the heat to maintain a normal body temperature around 98.6.

·         Do wear light and loose-fitting clothes.

Light and loose-fitting clothes allows for movement and breathing. Moreover, it prevents blockage of pores in the skin that release sweat to help your body cool down in the heat. Plus, dark clothing like black clothing retains heat; whereas, light clothing does not retain heat causing a faster cool down.

·         Do try to stay in the shade

Staying in the shade prevents direct heat and aids in the cool down process of maintaining normal body temperature around 98.6.

·         Do provide emergency care as soon as possible.

Most people are not medical professionals; therefore, the emergency medical service should be notified as soon as possible to further prevent complications associated with heat stroke like dehydration and death. Remember, heat stroke is a medical emergency.

     Conversely,

·         Do not sit in the car for long periods.

The temperature in the car is three times as hot as the temperature outside causing overheating and heat stroke to occur more quickly.

·         Do not drink caffeine drinks like coffee, soda, or tea

Caffeinated drinks like coffee, soda, and tea have a diuretic effect; in other words, they cause you to urinate more often resulting in the loss of essential nutrients like sodium and potassium. In addition, the diuretic effect of caffeinated can lead to dehydration, a component that makes heat stroke life threaten.

·         Do not perform vigorous exercise in the hot sun.

Vigorous exercise causes the body to overheat anywhere; but, the body overheats ten times as fast in the hot sun making it hard for the bodies cool down system to keep up. If the cool down system of the body cannot keep up, heat stroke can result.

     Following the above dos and don’ts with provide a happier and safer summer for those who like to have fun in the sun by preventing a medical emergency like heat stroke. Enjoy the summer.