Causes:
- Excessive exposure to sunlight
- Working in extreme hot environment.
- Excessive consumption of alcohol
- Failure of heat regulating system
- Heavy clothing
- Humidity
- Dry air
- Excessive sweating
- Excessive exercises or workouts
- Excessive loss of water from our body i.e dehydration
Symptoms:
Listed below are some of the most commons symptoms :
- Extreme rise in body temperature (up to 106°F) 41°C
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Lack of sweating
- Unconsciousness or sometimes Coma
- Nausea
- Weakness
- Swollen face
- Muscle cramps
- Fainting
- Vomiting
- Fast Breathing or difficulty in breathing
- Rapid pulse
- Fits
- Dark colored urine
- Dry skin
Who is at Risk of Sunstroke?
- People with obesity or over weight
- Infants and Younger children
- Old age people
- Heart patients
- People with uncontrolled diabetes
- Alcoholism
- Undergoing certain temperature regulating medications
- People who are known to be more sensitive to excessive heat.
- High blood pressure patients
- People with Kidney diseases
- Sunburns
- People with sleeping deprivation
- Person with sunstroke before are at higher risk.
Emergency steps to treat Sunstroke victim:
Sunstroke is a medical emergency. If you suspect someone with
sunstroke call for a doctor or an ambulance. But before that follow some
important first-aid steps listed below
- First get the person into a cool shady area preferably to a air conditioned room.
- Remove any unnecessary clothing and cover the body with a wet towel or involve the victim in a cool shower or bath to bring down the high temperature.
- If the victim is conscious offer him to drink fluids like juice and cool water.
- Never give beverages that contain alcohol or caffeine.
- Place ice packs to the victim’s armpits, neck and back side.
- Slow down the cooling treatment when the person starts shivering which in turn raises core temperature.
- Check the victim’s temperature every 20-30 minutes.
- Have a continuous look on breathing system, if you find any sign of failure in breathing then get ready to give mouth to mouth resuscitation i.e. rescue breathing.
- Consult your doctor or health care provider as soon as possible.
Preventive Steps:
Follow the below guidelines to prevent from sunstroke or heat stroke-
- The first best step is to stay in a shady cool room when the temperature is extremely high.
- Prefer to wear loose and light colored clothes, preferably cotton clothes.
- Always use umbrella while going outside and wear a wide hat.
- Drink lots of water even if you don’t feel thirsty.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water and fruit juices per day to prevent dehydration.
- Schedule your exercising time early in the morning or after sunset.
- Avoid consuming fluids that contains alcohol or caffeine because they dehydrate the body.
