Heat Stroke First Aid

photo source: youtube.com

Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is a medical emergency.  Heatstroke is most severe heat related illness, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures.   This most serious form of heat injury, heatstroke can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher.

Heatstroke requires emergency treatment. Untreated heatstroke can quickly damage your brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. The damage worsens the longer treatment is delayed, increasing your risk of serious complications or death.  Schedule vigorous exercise during cooler morning or evening hours.

Complications

Coma

Death

What you can do?

The bystander’s responsibility

• Take the person to an area far from the heat.
• Fan him with a new paper or towel.
• Elevate his feet to direct blood back toward the head.
• If the person is conscious, offer plenty of fluids .
• Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to 
• the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
• Call an ambulance or take the person to the emergency room of the nearest hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal.

Symptoms

• Headache
• Dizziness and light-headedness
• Lack of sweating despite the heat
• Red, hot, and dry skin
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• High body temperature
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid heartbeat
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness

Causes:

Working or when you exercise in hot conditions or weather or places without drinking enough fluids is the main cause of heat stroke. You can get heat stroke by not replacing lost fluids over days or weeks.  Liquids help to cool us down by allowing the body to produce sweat. However, liquids are also necessary for bodily functions, such as keeping up blood pressure. You can lose large amounts of body fluid in the form of sweat without noticing any effects, but at a certain point the body will reserve the remaining fluid for vital functions and stop sweating. The body's core temperature then shoots up, and cells start dying.

If a person becomes dehydrated and cannot sweat enough to cool his body his internal temperature may rise to a dangerously high level causing heat stroke.

Prevention tips

• Wear loose fitting, light weight, light colored clothing
• Avoid Sunburn or Skin expose to sun in a long time  protect yourself outdoors with a wide-brimmed hat or sunglasses and use a sunscreen with an SPF 15 and reapply every 2 hours
• If you have to exercise in the heat, start with brief  workouts and increase them gradually over two weeks or more
• Drink plenty of water before during and after exercise.  Drink more than you need to satisfy your thirst.  If possible, do not take soda and coffee or take them sparingly; both have caffeine and can actually rob your body of fluids.
• Take extra precautions with certain medications. 
• Avoid  alcohol before during and immediately after exercise.  Alcohol causes you to lose more fluid than you take in..

It is said that  Heat Stroke condition is caused by An intense activity in the heat can be the reason of Heat Stroke and according to this video, it is one of the top three killers of athletes and soldiers in training. Watch this video.

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