Summer is such an exciting time. The air is warmer, the sun is shining, and it is time to have fun! Even with all the great things about summer, there are bad things, too, like heat illness. Heat illness is very common every wear throughout the hot, summer months and knowing about them and how to manage them can help to save you or another person's life one day. One of the best preventions of heat illness is to drink plenty of water when in the heat for prolonged times. Even if you are not exercising just being in heat can cause heat illness.
There are three stages of heat illnesses that everyone should know about and how to manage them.
- Heat Cramps- Heat cramps are caused by fluid and electrolyte loss. Most of the time, heavy exercise in a hot place is the way that you can get them, but even things like going to a theme park in the heat can cause heat cramps. They are characterized by muscle spasms throughout the body. They are most commonly located in the calves, arms, abdominal wall, and back. However, they can be located in any muscle group that is used in exercise. Although this condition is not life threatening, it is very uncomfortable and can lead to more serious conditions if not taken care of. If you think that you are experiencing heat cramps, the first thing that you need to do is to rest and try to lower your internal body temperature, according to Mayo Clinic. Next drink clear juice and/or electrolyte-filled sports drink. This will help o replenish your lost electrolytes that are causing the cramps. Finally, do some light stretching and range of motion exercises to try and reduce the severity of the cramping throughout the body. Make sure that you do not resume exercise for several hours or longer as the cramps may come back.
- Heat Exhaustion- Heat exhaustion is caused by high temperatures and dehydration. Heat exhaustion is extremely common but is not something that should be taken lightly. Heat exhaustion can turn deadly if not taken care of in a timely manner, according to WebMD. You can get heat exhaustion from exercising, going to theme parks, going to the beach, going to concerts, and anything where you are around high temperatures and are not drinking enough water. There are two types of heat exhaustion- water depletion and salt depletion. Water depletion can cause symptoms, such as excessive thirst, weakness, headaches, passing out, fatigue, and pale skin. Salt depletion can cause symptoms, like nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, dizziness, dark colored urine, and profuse sweating. If you or someone you know is having symptoms if heat exhaustion, the first step is to get out of the heat and rest. After that, you can try drinking lots of water, taking off any unnecessary clothing, applying cold compresses, and taking cold baths or showers. The point of these step is to try and lower your core body temperature and get rehydrated.
- Heat Stroke- The worst of all of the heat illnesses is heat stroke. Heat stroke is caused by extreme dehydration and hyperthermia, where the core body temperature is raised to dangerously high levels. Medicine Net explains that heat stroke is a medical emergency, so if someone is suspected of having a heat stroke, 911 needs to be called immediately. Symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, agitation, disorientation, the absence of sweat even if extreme heat, passing out, and coma. Heat stroke is most common in the elderly, infants, and outside workers, but anyone can fall victim to a heat stroke. After calling 911, try to cool the person down through removing clothing, getting them into cooler conditions, spraying or wetting them with water, putting ice packs under their arm pits and groin, and getting them to drink plenty of water if they are conscious and able to drink. Heat stroke, if left untreated, can cause serious medical problems, like brain damage, seizures, and death.
It is important that everyone knows the differences between these three heat illnesses! Knowing this and hot to treat them can help to save someone's life one day.
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