Heat Stroke, Symptoms, Prevention, and Management:

Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency that occurs when the body’s core temperature becomes excessively elevated due to prolonged exposure to the sun on a scorching day. Normally, the body regulates its temperature by sweating when the internal temperature becomes high.

However, in cases of heat stroke, the body’s temperature regulation system fails to maintain the internal temperature. This can cause the internal body temperature to rise above 104°F, disrupting the body’s normal functions and potentially leading to organ damage if not treated promptly.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke:

The following may be the signs and symptoms that indicate heatstroke.

High Body Temperature: Heat Stroke

A person’s body temperature will reach 104°F or greater. This high body temperature could be a medical emergency. Such a high temperature could cause damage to the brain and other vital organs. The patient could experience fits if not controlled immediately.

Loss of Consciousness/Disorientation: Heat Stroke

Moreover, in severe cases, a patient will be irritable, confused, and even unconscious and have seizures, which could sometimes lead to brain damage.

Rapid Pulse/Heart Beat: Heat Stroke symptoms

However, in case of severe dehydration due to high temperature, your heart will try to pump more rapidly to supply blood to your body, resulting in a fast heartbeat, which can be managed by maintaining a good level of hydration by giving intravenous fluids or oral rehydration solution.

Headache: The patient will feel a headache due to the dilatation of blood vessels in the brain, due to high temperature, and a reduced fluid supply to the brain. In a severely dehydrated person, blood becomes viscous, which also causes a headache.

Flushed Skin:

Due to high temperature patient’s skin will be flushed because of the heavy flow of blood circulation to the body’s surface.

Body aches/Muscles cramps: The patient will feel muscle pain and cramps due to fever and dehydration.

Nausea and Vomiting: The patient may feel nauseated and vomit. This may be due to a person’s body’s reaction to heat stress. on brain cells.

Weakness:

Heat stroke causes severe body aches, and a person becomes unable to perform physical activities.

Dizziness or Fainting:

Due to severe dehydration and low blood pressure, the patient may faint. In this case, lie the patient down on a smooth surface and elevate the legs. By doing this, the blood flow from the lower body toward the heart increases.

Rapid and Shallow Breathing:

The patient’s body will try to lower internal temperature by inhaling more and more air, which may also be due to a fast metabolic rate or a very high temperature.

Low Blood Pressure: Patients’ blood pressure will drop to a very low point due to severely low volume of water in the blood, as human blood consisit a good volume of water in it.

 What is the Treatment of heat stroke?

 If you suspect heat stroke symptoms, call your local emergency medical helpline. Meanwhile, while waiting for medical emergency help, do the following measures to cool down your body temperature by any means available, e.g.

• Move the person from the place, or if you are alone, immediately move towards a cool place and call someone for help.
• Take cold water showers, or put the person in a tub with cold water. Do not give any medication to lower the temperature.
• Place a wet towel or ice pack on the head, in the axilla, and in the groin region to cool down your body temperature.
• If the patient is conscious, offer a drink containing electrolytes, or you can give an Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS).
• Avoid caffeinated beverages/drinks. This could further lead to dehydration.
• If the patient becomes unconscious, pulseless, or not breathing, start CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and call your local emergency medical helpline.

How can you prevent yourself from Heatstroke?

Heatstroke can be prevented in very hot weather or a heat wave by following these tips.

• Avoid strenuous physical activity in very hot weather.
• If doing exercise or any work is very necessary, then perform that early in the morning from 4 am to 7 Am.
• Keep a water bottle with you all the time. Maintain good hydration all the time.
• Keep a towel in your purse or bag. If you feel too hot or feel a fever, wet the towel and place it on your head; this will help in lowering the core temperature.
• Children are very sensitive to heatstroke, so keep them in the coolest room in the house, and avoid going outside to play in the streets and open grounds and spaces, which may lead to direct exposure to sun rays.
• Take 2 to 3 baths at least in warm weather or on a day.
• Always wear loose clothes.
• If you sweat a lot, you may be depleted of electrolytes; drink oral rehydration solution(ORS).

How can you keep your home cool in hot weather?

If your house has direct exposure to the sun or is on the top floors of a building, take the following measures to keep your house cool.

• Keep doors and windows open in the early morning from 4 A.m. to 7 a.m for fresh air and good ventilation.
• Always check your room temperature, especially at 10:00 a.m., 1300 p:m, and 2200 p:m. This is very important if you have infants or children and older people with health issues.
• Close the window in the middle of the day and turn off all artificial lights and electrical appliances if possible.
• Hang a wet towel or a thick cloth in your room.

In conclusion, it’s important to remember that heatstroke is a medical emergency. Taking the precautions mentioned above can help protect you and your family. If someone experiences heatstroke, people need to know how to handle the situation safely.

Furthermore, local hospitals and community centers should organize teaching /awareness sessions for the community before the arrival of warm weather, where they can educate people on home remedies, management, and emergency contact numbers.

By providing awareness in the communities, many of the medical emergencies could be managed and lives could be saved and deaths could be saved. So, if you read such articles must pass the knowledge to others.