From harsh sun rays to the heat summer brings, hot weather has a tendency to make any individual feel under the weather. Heat stroke can be identified by a variety of factors, which is essential to note when trying to prevent your body from overheating.
Unsplash/Nathan Dumlao
Unsure how to identify and what steps to follow if you, or someone nearby, is experiencing heat stroke? Here are a few things to consider to ensure this spell of illness does not lead to a life-threatening event.
Identify the symptoms
There is a big difference between heat stroke and simply feeling too hot. Heat stroke is usually identified if an individual’s body temperature is higher than 40 degrees. Heat stroke usually follows heat exhaustion, which can be caused by being exposed to hot temperatures or being involved in strenuous exercise.
It’s important to note that heat exhaustion is not classified as an emergency, but it should be tended to immediately in order to ensure it does not develop into heat stroke. Heat stroke can cause permanent damage to the body and in extreme cases it can cause a fatality.
This is why identifying the symptoms is vital to ensure early detection of heat stroke and alleviate its damaging effects. Here are a few signs of heat stroke to look out for:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Lightheadedness
- Seizures
- Muscle cramps
- High heart rate
- Migraine
Call an ambulance
As this is classified as an emergency, you’ll need to contact an ambulance to your location. Even if you might think it could be an extreme case of heat exhaustion, the symptoms need to be treated in order to ensure the individual is getting proper care.
Try to cool the individual down
The main thing, during and after calling an ambulance, is to make sure you help the individual get their body temperature down in any way. You’ll have to get them to a shaded or cool area and try to get them to drink small sips of fluid.
Try to fashion a damp towel to place on body parts that are prone to radiating a lot of heat, such as the forehead and armpits. Be sure to loosen their clothing so they can breathe properly and feel cooler. If they’re unconscious, you’ll need to place them on their side and check if they’re breathing. This is also referred to as the recovery position.
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