It’s
that time of year where the thermometer is going up as the days get
longer. More and more people take this
time to go outside and try to enjoy the warmer weather for as long as they can
but this is actually a very dangerous time of the year. It’s time for a silent killer that will sneak
up on you. Most people tend to ignore
the first obvious symptoms, because they are busy doing something out in the
heat and don’t want to stop to address the symptoms. So let’s go over these symptoms and see how you
can help those around you.
Ok
let’s go over the first step of this silent killer - heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion may not sound very serious,
or even a killer, but it can lead to heat stroke, which is the killer. There are typically two types of heat
exhaustion - water depletion and salt depletion. If someone is water depleted, they will have
excessive thirst, headache and loss of consciousness. If someone is salt depleted, they will have
nausea, vomiting, cramps, and dizziness.
Both types of heat exhaustion can also cause confusion, pale skin,
profuse sweating, and rapid heartbeat.
The risk of heat exhaustion is strongly related to the heat
index, because the higher the humidity the more you body’s ability to sweat is
hampered. This index is even higher when
you are in full sunshine versus some shade.
People who live in more urban areas are much more prone to heat
exhaustion due to what is called “heat island effect”. This is the heat stored by the asphalt and
concrete that is typically only released at night, therefore increasing the
night time temperatures. If you couple
that with stagnant atmospheric conditions (very little wind) and poor air
quality, it makes heat exhaustion much more likely.
The
second step of this silent killer is heat stroke, which is also known as
sunstroke. Not all people go from heat
exhaustion to heat stroke. Some go right to the heat stroke. Some of the symptoms of heat stroke are very
similar to heat exhaustion, but there won’t be any sweating at all, and the
skin will be red, hot, and dry. The
person may also have rapid, shallow breathing and could have seizures.
Heat stroke can strike anyone of any age, but elderly people
who live in apartments or homes without air conditioning or good airflow are
the most susceptible. Other high risk
groups are those who don’t drink enough while working/playing outside
(construction workers, runners), those with chronic diseases that leave someone
unable to regulate their body temperatures (cancer), and alcoholics. Heat stroke
is also related to the heat index like heat exhaustion, and is also more
commonly found happening to people in urban areas due to that “heat island
effect”.
So
what do you do to help someone suffering from either heat exhaustion or heat
stroke? First thing you want to do is
move the person to a cooler environment, if at all possible. If all you have is
the shade of a tree, that can still help.
If the person is showing signs of heat stroke, call 911 before thinking
of moving them. Listed beside this text
is some ideas of what you can do for each type of heat related issue. If you still aren’t sure what to do to help
or if what you are trying doesn’t work, call 911 and get some trained medical
personnel to the scene for assistance.
Of course, prevention is always the best course of action in
the long run. If you know you will be
outside on those hot, humid days make sure that you wear lightweight,
light-colored, loose-fitting clothing (darker colors absorb the heat faster
than light-colors do). Try to wear a hat,
if at all possible. Drink lots of extra fluids (include sports drinks as well
to prevent salt depleted heat exhaustion), or just reschedule your activities
after sunset, if at all possible. When
drinking those extra fluids, try to avoid anything that contains caffeine or
alcohol because they cause you to actually lose more fluids, and can make the
heat related illness even worse. If
you’re a senior who can’t afford to buy or run an air conditioner, check with
your local agencies to see if you are eligible for assistance (LIHEAP-Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program is the most common). With the knowledge you just read here, you can
help prevent or treat someone who has these issues. Let’s have a safe and
healthy summer!