Digital health editor
Getty imagesIn hot weather, it can be easy to overheat, sometimes resulting in heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion is generally not serious as long as you can cool – but the heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment.
Some groups, including the elderly, young children and people with long -term health problems, can be particularly at risk.
The body’s ability to regulate temperature is not entirely developed in very young and can be reduced by the disease and certain drugs, while overweight or obesity can also make it more difficult to cool.
In particular, people who take medication for mental health problems are warned that they should be very cautious in hot weather because certain antipsychotic drugs and antidepressants can make temperature regulation more difficult.
What is the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke?
Heat exhaustion Occurs when your body becomes too hot and fights to regulate its temperature.
An obvious sign is excessive sweating, while feeling very hot and sick – which is the way your body warns you to refresh yourself quickly.
Other symptoms include:
- headache
- dizziness and confusion
- Loss of appetite and feel sick
- cramps in the arms, legs and stomach
- Fast breathing or pulse
- temperature of 38c or more
- Be thirsty
Young children, who may not be able to tell you how they feel, can become flexible and sleepy.
Heat exhaustion can affect anyone, including healthy and healthy people – especially if they have done an intense exercise at high temperatures or have drunk alcohol in the sun all day.
It can occur quickly, in a few minutes or gradually for hours.
Heat exhaustion can be transformed into heat strokewhich is a medical emergency. This means that your body can no longer manage heat and that your central temperature increases too much. You should get urgent medical help.
Signs to monitor and act quickly:
- Feel bad after 30 minutes of rest in a cool place and drink a lot of water
- Do not sweat even by feeling too hot
- a temperature of 40 ° C or more
- Fast breathing or breathlessness
- Feel confused
- an adjustment (input)
- loss of consciousness
- not responsive
What should you do if you think someone has a heat exhaustion or a heat stroke?
If anyone has heat exhaustion::
- Make them rest in a cool place – like a room with air conditioning or somewhere in the shade
- Remove all unnecessary clothes, to expose as much of their skin as possible
- Cool their skin – Use everything you have available, a sponge or a cold and humid flannel, spray water, cold packaging around the neck and armpits, or wrap them in a fresh and humid sheet
- Spread their skin while it is wet – this will help water to evaporate, which will help their skin cool
- Make them drink water – sports or rehydration drinks are also good
Stay with them until they are better.
They should start refreshing and feeling better within 30 minutes.
If they do not improve after 30 minutes of rest, and you think they can have heat strokeYou should get urgent medical help. Call 999 immediately.
