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Palmetto Health Provides Tips On How To Prevent Heat Illnesses
The hot days of summer are a nuisance to many people. They cause discomfort, irritability, and a lack of energy. Sometimes, however, the heat can present a more serious threat to a person’s health. “Heat exhaustion and related illnesses are more common than people realize,” says Dr. Jeter Taylor III, medical director of emergency medicine at Palmetto Health Baptist. “It’s caused by loss of fluids from the body due to the heat and humidity. A person becomes dehydrated and feverish. Older people living without air-conditioning are among the most likely to suffer from the heat. Children also should be closely monitored.”
Humidity is as important as temperature. When the temperature plus the humidity adds up to 140 degrees, prolonged work or exercise presents a hazardous situation. If the temperature plus humidity is over 160 degrees, the risk of heat exhaustion is very great—a person must limit their activity and should take special care to stay well-hydrated and cool.
“In these conditions, a person can lose more fluids and salts from the body than he takes in,” says Taylor. “Heat exhaustion can have vague symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, loss of appetite and nausea. Eventually the fluid losses can reach a point where the person collapses.”
“Heat exhaustion is fairly easy to treat if the person is identified early,” says Taylor. “The person must find a cool place and replace the necessary fluids and salts. Occasionally, a person needs a liter or two of intravenous fluids to quickly restore his health.”
It is wise for a person to drink more liquids than would seem necessary during hot weather.
“Going by one’s thirst is not always a reliable way to replace fluids,” says Taylor. “A better way is to watch your weight. If you’re losing weight and it’s not because you’re burning up calories, it’s may be because you’re losing too much fluid.” A person should weigh himself daily and drink enough fluids to keep his weight at the normal level. The urine should remain straw-colored and not become dark yellow.
First aid for someone suffering from heat exhaustion is to get him into the shade or a cool room, remove as much clothing as possible, cool his skin with water and use a fan to increase the rate of evaporation. Also giving cool liquids by mouth is important since dehydration is a major part of the illness.
“The most serious form of heat illness is a heat stroke,” says Taylor. “Here, the body temperature soars to levels of 106 degrees or higher which can cause mental confusion and begin damaging various organs of the body. This is a life-threatening emergency and requires hospitalization and expert treatment.”
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen—medicines that reset the body’s thermostat—are not helpful in heat stroke. Instead, the excess heat must be drawn off by directly cooling the body. This is done by applying cool water to the skin and using a fan to increase evaporation which further cools the body. Further cooling can be obtained by placing cool packs over the large arteries and veins in the neck, groin and armpits.
Some medicines can cause problems with heat-related illnesses. Antihistamines and antidepressants decrease the body’s ability to cool itself and their use should be limited during these months. This is especially true of children because they have less ability to rid their bodies of excessive heat. “Water pills” also may lead to excessive fluid loss and contribute to the problem. People taking water pills to treat edema may be able to reduce their dose or even stop their use during hot spells.
Salt pills are no longer used to treat or prevent heat exhaustion. Heat illnesses are prevented and treated by drinking more fluids. It may be reasonable to increase the amount of salt used on foods during hot weather, but salt pills alone will make the symptoms worse.
For further information on heat related illnesses, contact your physician.
