Saturday, July 14, 2007
For Your Safety - Symptoms of Heat Stroke/Heat Exhaustion
With these dog days of summer upon us, I thought I'd post some helpful tips on preventing heat stroke and heat exhaustion, and symptoms to look for in your family, friends or even yourself to make sure you're safe in this heat.
- Dehydration is a serious thing in hot weather - don't ever underestimate how important it is to stay hydrated when out in warm weather. We all lose some body fluids every day, from normal activities like perspiring and using the bathroom. Some symptoms of dehydration include: thirst, less frequent urination, dry skin, fatigue, light headedness, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth, and increased heart rate and/or breathing rate
- To prevent dehydration...drink plenty of fluids all day long, especially (but not only) when you're out in the hot sun. Keep a bottle or glass of water with you all the time. Make sure to take in more fluids than you're losing by perspiration...and don't exercise during the very hottest periods of the day. You'll put yourself at greater risk of dehydration and heat stroke.
- Heat Stroke is a very serious condition - in fact, it's considered the most serious of all heat related illnesses. It can cause death if left untreated, or allowed to go to an advanced stage. It is caused by long exposure to heat and/or sun, when a person doesn't sweat enough to lower their own body temperature.
- Symptoms of Heat stroke include (but are not limited to): headache, dizziness, disorientation, sluggishness or fatigue, seizures, hot dry skin that isn't sweaty, high body temperature, rapid heartbeat, hallucinations
- Symptoms of Heat stroke should never be ignored! Treat the person immediately by getting them indoors out of the blazing heat. Remove as much clothing as possible and treat with cool water all over the patient's body...have the person lie down, and apply ice packs to the groin and armpits. Get professional help as soon as you possibly can.
The hot summer weather seems fun, but keep your family and yourself safe this summer. If you have any health conditions or if you live in a particularly hot area of the country, get advice from health professionals in your area about how to prevent dehydration and heat stroke.
Labels: dehydration, health and wellness, heat stroke, summer safety
Posted by HappySlob ::
10:11 AM ::
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