Beat the Heat: A Comprehensive Guide to Preventing Heatstrokes During Scorching Summers
This summer, as you set out, keep safety precautions in mind to avoid heat-related accidents when you’re outside of climate-controlled locations. People occasionally fail to notice that they are getting too hot while having fun outside in the summer. If the situation progresses to the point of a heatstroke, rapid medical assistance is required. Heatstroke frequently comes before heat fatigue. Heavy perspiration, lightheadedness, tiredness, headaches, and nausea are all indications of heat exhaustion.
Heatstroke, a potentially fatal condition, can result from heat exhaustion if it is not treated quickly. Heatstroke can cause confusion, nausea, and fast breathing, among other symptoms, when the body temperature rises to 104 degrees or above. The good news is that heat exhaustion and heat stroke can be avoided.
ALSO READ: Mastering Mental Health First Aid: A Lifesaving Skill
Steps That Contribute to Heatstrokes
Heat stroke and other heat-related disorders can arise for a variety of reasons, including:
Dehydration: To maintain good health, our body temperature must remain close to 37 °C. Sweating serves as the body’s primary method of self-cooling and typically accounts for 70 to 80% of heat loss. Dehydration makes a person sweat less, which makes it tougher to maintain a healthy body temperature over time—especially in the heat.
Lack of airflow, such as when working in warm, inadequately ventilated, or enclosed spaces. People attending major events (concerts, dance parties, or sporting events) in hot or crowded conditions run the risk of suffering from heat stress, which can lead to heatstroke.
Exposure to the sun, particularly between 11 am and 3 pm on hot days.
If you are interested in understanding how heatstrokes have progressed over decades, you could read about it here
Steps For Preventing Heatstrokes
Wear weather-appropriate clothes
Opt for lighter shades unlike black and dark colors, avoid tight-fitting clothes, and stick to airy and loose attires.
Keep Cool Indoors
If you must spend time at work or school, it is better to do so in an air-conditioned or ventilated space. However, refrain from planning complex outside plans, especially during the day. On a hot summer day, your risk of suffering a heatstroke is less when you are exposed to lesser time in direct sunlight.
ALSO READ: Cultivating Happiness: 5 Powerful Steps to Create and Enhance Joy in Your Life
Keep Your Pace
Exercise should be limited when it’s hot. Start gradually and increase the pace accordingly if you’re not used to working or exercising in a warm setting. You must stop all activity if physical exertion in the heat makes your heart race and leaves you struggling for breath, especially if you start to feel dizzy, disoriented, weak, or faint.
Wear Sunscreen
Sunburn can dehydrate you and interfere with your body’s ability to cool down. If you must venture outside, shield your skin from the sun by donning a wide-brimmed hat, and some sunglasses, and applying sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher 30 minutes beforehand.
Never Leave Your Pets/Children in Parked Vehicles
Even with the windows cracked open, cars may quickly reach deadly temperatures. Anyone left in a parked car is at risk, but pets and kids are particularly vulnerable to heat stroke or worse, even death.
People that are Most at Risk of a Heatstroke
The elderly, especially those without proper air conditioning or sufficient facilities at home or those living alone without any assistance in this heat to get through the daily chores of the day.
Infants, young kids, pregnant women, and mothers who are nursing.
Individuals with a history of illness, particularly those with diabetes, heart disease, or kidney disease.
Those taking some drugs, which have the side effect of making it harder for the body to lose heat.
Those who are ill or have diseases that make them dehydrated or feverish.
People whose cognitive abilities make it difficult for them to recognize or express their discomfort or those with poor cardiovascular fitness are overweight or obese.
ALSO READ: Achieve Your Fitness Goals: Top 10 Home Workouts for Men
Conclusion
In addition to looking after ourselves, it is also crucial to have a basic understanding of how can be of assistance if someone before us is experiencing a heatstroke. The clear answer to that is if it seems serious, you must call the medical emergency line.
While you wait for the medical assistance to arrive, Get the patient to a cool, shaded spot where they can lie down. Take off any extra clothing that they have worn, wrap their skin with water, or cover them in damp towels while continuously fanning them. Wherever it is practical, keep an eye on their body temperature and keep trying to cool them until their temperature falls below 38 °C.
If the person is cognizant and able to swallow, give them some cool water to drink. By no means must you administer any fluids including water to the patient if he/she is not fully conscious. If someone is unconscious, turn them on their side and check their respiration. if necessary, provide CPR.
