When you are living or travelling to tropical countries, you are in the high risk of getting heat stroke, especially you are traveller from temperate areas. In this article, we introduce some brief views about heatstroke as well as how to prevent heat stroke.

What is heat stroke and how to prevent heat stroke

 

What is heat stroke?

Heatstroke is a dangerous condition that happens when the body temperature increases too high and the body can not cool down itself. Heatstroke can threaten life due to its damage to brain, heart, liver, and kidneys. This fatal condition often appears in the people who are in hot place in long time or do hard working under the sun without having protective gear and drinking enough water.

Some symptoms of heatstroke are

• High fever, the temperature is 40 degree Celsius or over.
• Changing in mental status: lethargy, confusion, agitation, slurred speech or fainting in the elderly.
• Diaphoresis and sweating, if the condition goes severe, the skin will become dry.
• Nausea and vomiting due to electrolyte imbalance.
• Tachycardia and high respiratory rate.

First aid for heatstroke

Heat stroke is a seriously dangerous condition that can cause death, especially with the vulnerable people such as children and elderly. Because of the severity of heat stroke, first aids is very necessary and one of your small act can save a life. When you suspect someone suffer from heat stroke, you can follow some below steps:

• Move the person to the shadow or cool area, avoid exposing with the sun then remove excess clothing and emergency number as soon as possible.
• Provide water if the person is still awake, when the patient is lethargic, consuming water can make aspiration and respiratory failure.
• Apply cold compress in the neck, armpits, groin to reduce the body temperature.

 

Complications of heatstroke

Heatstroke can cause very harmful damage to many organs in the body, which can lead to death. The severity of complication will depend on the time and the temperature that the person expose to.

Heatstroke makes the body suffer from dehydration which leads to the lack of blood supply to the vital organs such as brain, heart, lungs, and kidneys. In the brain, heatstroke can harm and reduce the function of neurons, which can change the mental status of the sufferers. One of the most severe complications that heatstroke cause to the body is kidney failure due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. With some vulnerable people such as children and the elderly, heat stroke complications can onset faster and more dangerous so these people need more caring and prevention in the hot days of summer.

Prevention of heatstroke (how to prevent heat stroke)

Because heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that can make a lot of dangerous complications so medical treatment is crucial, however you can totally protect yourself from heatstroke by applying some below home remedies.

• Water to prevent heat stroke

70% of our body is made from water and this solution takes an important part in every living actions. Although sweating and vasodilation are two simple mechanisms that the body applies to reduce the temperature, in the hot weather, the body only regulates the heat properly by water through sweating. Because of that thing, in summer, you should drink more water than normally to assure the body  can cool down itself.

• Prevention of sunburn

Not only causing pain and discomfort feeling, sunburn also decreases the heat regulation ability of body so you will easily get heatstroke. When you go outside in the summer time, you should with he SPF index at least 15, which also protects from skin cancer. Moreover, you need a wide brimmed-hat to avoid direct sunlight. If you are doing hard exercise or swimming, you should apply more frequently suncream, at least every two hour.

• Having a working plan in the hottest days

In some extremely hot day, you need to arrange your working time to prevent heat stroke, especially you have to do strenuous activities. You should work earlier in the morning or in late afternoon. Furthermore, drinking plenty of fluid and taking break time more frequently prevent heat stroke are really necessary to prevent heatstroke.

• Wear lightweight clothing

Wearing tight clothes can interfere the body heat regulation and causes heat stroke. You may need loose-fitting clothes to help the body radiate the heat, properly. The best material for summer clothes is cotton which absorbs the sweating better than others cloth kinds.

• Don’t leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle

The temperature in a closed window car can increase 6,7 Celsius degree in 10 minutes under the sunlight. Leaving children in parked car is the most common reason that cause death in children so if you had any child, you would definitely take him/her with you. When you park the car, you also need to check the car door is totally locked to prevent children getting inside.

• Maintain electrolyte balance and prevent heat stroke

The body loses the sodium ion through sweating and the deficit of sodium can definitely lead to muscle cramps and confusion. Drinking some kinds of sport fluid can prevent this condition. If you have heart diseases or problems that relate to salt-restriction, ask your doctor to get consultation.

Precaution of  medication to prevent heat stroke

If you are taking some medications, you should tell you doctor to know the risk of heatstroke when you use these medicines. Some medicine are anti allergy, laxatives, thyroid pills, anti hypertensive, metal drugs.

 

Author Bio

Hannah Hall has graduated Hanoi Medical University which is the most famous university in Viet Nam. She also had the time worked as a staff nurse in Australia and Denmark where her main responsibility was patient nutrition manage. Now, she continues to take part in a lot of research which are related directly to nutrition. Moreover, sharing knowledge and writing are her particular passion. She also works as a major contributor in a Authorityremedies.com which provides many articles in natural and home remedies and you can follow her on .