How To Watch For The Hidden Symptoms Of Extreme Heat

As if you can’t feel it too, but climate change is making summers in Canada hotter, with more days of extreme heat and fewer nights that let our bodies cool down. What temperature threshold triggers a heat warning varies depending on where you live, but the symptoms of heat-related illnesses remain the same.

Doctors say people aren’t aware enough what to watch for. So, to help out, here are a few:

• Heat edema occurs when blood vessels dilate and blood accumulates in the hands and feet due to gravity, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People with diabetes, cirrhosis, and heart conditions are at a higher risk. Watch for swelling in your ankles, feet, or hands. The treatment is to elevate the swollen area to drain it.
• Heat rashes occur when sweat glands get blocked or inflamed.  Babies can end up in the ER with heat rashes because they are bundled up a bit too much. But adults also can get rashes. They occur more commonly in sweaty areas like your groin, your neck, or your armpits. The CDC recommends keeping the rash area dry and applying powder to increase comfort.
• Heat cramps happen when the body loses salt and water, and typically occurs in your stomach, arms, and calves. It is treated by replenishing carbohydrates and electrolytes with a snack, water or sports drink.

Those are some of the milder heat related troubles. Some more serious issues that occur in higher heat include:

• Heat syncope, when someone feels light-headed after standing up. Watch for headaches after standing up from a seated or lying down position, and short period fainting after standing. This is treated with rest and relief from heat, sitting or laying down in a cool place, and slowly drinking water, clear juice or a sports drink.
• Heat exhaustion happens when you experience an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through sweating. It is signified by weakness, fatigue, dizziness, muscle cramps, headache and vomiting, and is treated by cooling down with cold packs, washing the head, face, and neck with cold water, and frequently sipping cool water.

And the most serious heat related issue that is still treatable:

• Heat stroke happens when the body’s cooling mechanism fails so you stop sweating, and internal temperature heats up. Watch for confusion, increased heart rate, hallucinations, throbbing headache, less sweat, loss of consciousness, rapid breathing, and an altered mental state. Emergency medical care is required at this point. The CDC advises that if you suspect someone has heat stroke, you should call 911 and take immediate steps to cool them down. It helps to cool down with cold water, an ice bath, and soaking clothes with cool water.

There is always a temptation to take advantage of the nice, hot, sunny days of summer. Or even a requirement to be outside during the heat. Someone working outside during periods of high heat may not be able to respond to their body’s desire to seek a cooler environment. But too much heat is bad for our health and can manifest in any of the ways mentioned above. If you suffer any of these symptoms, please follow the treatments mentioned and avoid the heat for a while.

Source: https://bit.ly/3ciuzzN