Sunstroke: symptoms and first aid
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Sunstroke: how to prevent and get rid of the consequences?
In hot weather, it is especially important to understand the difference between heat and sunstroke, to be able to prevent these conditions and, if necessary, help yourself and your loved ones.
A person prefers warmth and really doesn't like to freeze. Who does not dream of the hot embrace of summer, especially cold winter or chilly autumn. However, everything is fine in moderation, excessive exposure to high temperatures can cause great trouble. A typical consequence of such exposure is heat and sunstroke. Such phenomena occur very often, the degree of damage depends on the characteristics of the body.
The effects of exposure to high temperatures can be very dangerous, so it is very important to know how first aid is provided in these cases. High temperature effects on children are especially dangerous.
In order for first aid in case of sunstroke to be provided in a timely and effective manner, it is necessary to know its symptoms and algorithm of actions in an extreme situation. The same can be said about medical care in case of heat stroke. However, before talking about pre-medical care techniques and symptoms, it is necessary to understand the causes that lead to sun and warm shock, as well as the physiological mechanisms of these phenomena.
Let's figure out together what can happen to fans of walking in the heat, whether it is worth seeing a doctor and what should not be done in any case.
Heat Strike is a Pathological Condition caused by the general sharp overheating of the body as a result of exposure to external thermal factors.
What is sunstroke?
Sunstroke is an overheating of the body. The condition can occur as a result of prolonged exposure to the sun and direct exposure to rays. In this case, the compensatory mechanisms cannot cope with heat dissipation, and body temperature increases significantly. The blow can occur both while in the sun and a few hours later.
Sunstroke activates inflammatory reactions in the body, and as a result, problems with various organs and systems can develop. For example, muscles, liver, kidneys, lungs and heart are affected. Insufficiency of the central nervous system is possible.
How is sunstroke different from thermal shock?
Often people confuse solar and heat stroke, believing that this is the same thing - a general deterioration as a result of a long stay on the street in the heat. In fact, heat stroke can also occur in other high temperature conditions, for example, in a bathhouse, a stuffy closed room or in a car standing in a traffic jam. Unlike thermal shock, sunstroke occurs due to the direct impact of ultraviolet rays on the head. This is a type of heat stroke with similar symptoms, and its consequences are also dangerous to health.
Excessive overheating can be expressed in mild symptoms or lead to serious conditions up to damage to the heart muscle and kidneys - much depends on the time spent in very hot conditions and the possibility of first aid. Often such symptoms as nausea, vomiting, pale skin, loss of consciousness are added. Heat stroke affects not only the brain, but also all organs.
The sweating process is a natural mechanism for cooling the body. If you play sports in hot weather or work for a long time in an overheated room without maintaining water balance, it will be difficult to maintain the optimal body temperature necessary for well-being. In case of sunstroke, infrared radiation penetrates through the brain systems, causing changes in its parts. This leads to hypoxia - lack of oxygen
Sunstroke - overheating as a result of a long stay in the sun and direct impact of sunlight on the head.
Symptoms of sunstroke.
Doctors divide the symptoms of sunstroke into three severity:
First (light) degree: weakness, unpleasant nausea, headache, high pulse, uneven breathing.
Second (medium) degree: increased mild symptoms, impaired coordination, semi-fainting, nasal bleeding, fever up to 38-39 degrees.
Third (severe) degree: pale skin, fever, loss or confusion - nonsense, hallucinations; limb cramps and death are possible with extreme overheating.
In addition to assessing external signs and measuring temperature, the doctor can take a urine and blood test to determine the level of dehydration, sodium and potassium deficiency. Sometimes muscle function tests and visual diagnostics are prescribed - an X-ray to detect damage to internal organs.
Sunstroke can manifest itself not only during a walk, but also the next day after 6-10 hours. If after a long time in the sun you returned home, went to bed, and woke up with aches in your body and fever, consult a doctor. General fatigue and exhaustion, mild ARVI and poisoning are not excluded - only a specialist can make an accurate diagnosis.
What to do in case of sunstroke: first aid.
If you encounter the first symptoms of sunstroke, try to go to a cool room, at least in the shade of trees or under a canopy.
Follow a few rules:
It is necessary to enter the house, take off unnecessary clothes, loosen the belt.
Eliminate physical activity (it's better to lie down) and drink more water.
Sports drinks - isotonics - restore balance well, they contain electrolytes that the body loses due to excessive sweating.
Wrap your body with a cool damp towel. You can wave the injured person with a fan, wipe it with cool (not icy) water.
At the first signs of loss of consciousness, it is recommended to inhale vapors of 10% ammonia solution (nashatyr alcohol), lie on your side.
In case of overheating, it is important to cool the head first of all, as in this case the central nervous system especially suffers.
The victim should not be immersed in cold water, as reflex cardiac arrest is possible.
Cooling should be carried out gradually, avoiding large temperature differences.
Give the victim abundant cold drink (water, tea, coffee, juice).
In the presence of burns, it is necessary to lubricate the affected skin with vaseline, do not open the bubbles, apply a dry sterile bandage and contact a medical institution.
If the symptoms worsen and you feel nausea and dizziness, call an ambulance immediately. Do not try to go to the doctor, your health can deteriorate at any time. If you are transporting a person affected by sunstroke to the hospital, he should lie on the road.
The doctor will help determine the cause and eliminate the symptoms. After the necessary tests, the patient can be wrapped in a special cooling blanket.
In case of severe heat stroke, urgent hospitalization is strictly necessary. Follow the recommendations of the attending physician.
In case of severe cases of heat and sunstroke, you need to seek qualified medical attention. After heat or sunstroke, it is recommended to observe bed rest for a few days. This is necessary for the final recovery of the body.
What can't you do in case of sunstroke?
Don't forget about first aid contraindications. In no case can you:
Sharply cool the victim (dive in a cold bath, put under the air conditioner);
To give coffee and alcohol;
Refuse the help of doctors in the hope that severe symptoms will go away by themselves.
Cooling of the body should occur gradually, avoid sudden temperature changes.
How to avoid sunstroke?
It's easier to take care of prevention than to treat the effects of sunstroke:
Before going outside, wear light clothes made of natural materials - linen, cotton, silk, which do not prevent sweating.
Do not walk without a cap or hat, handkerchief, bandana, preferably light shades - they attract less sunlight.
You can rinse your face and head with cool water, protect yourself with an umbrella.
It is recommended to protect your eyes with dark glasses.
It is preferable to quench my Thirst using salted water or water with lemon, green tea, juice.
It is forbidden to drink coffee, beer to quench thirst.
When sunbathing in a horizontal position, the head should be slightly raised, the face should be covered with a hat or towel.
You can't play football, volleyball and other outdoor games in the open sun. With active movements, the risk of sunstroke increases.
It is necessary to avoid long-term work or exposure to the sun.
Drink clean water regularly, exclude alcohol; even cold drinks such as beer or cocktails contribute to dehydration.
Try to reduce the time spent in the sun (from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.), plan walks and classes for the morning and afternoon.
For a long stay on the beach, take a break from sunbathing: plunge into the water, take a shower, go to a cool room or under a canopy.
What is a heat stroke?
Heat Strike is a pathological condition caused by the general sharp overheating of the body as a result of exposure to external thermal factors. The causes of heat stroke are a violation of thermoregulation caused by the supply of excess heat from the environment.
Heat stroke is a consequence of overheating of the body. It can be felt not only on the summer beach, but also in the sauna, with special types of work (bakeries, ceramic production). In heat, the body is not able to maintain normal body temperature, and it is growing rapidly. Blood circulation and sweating are disturbed, free radicals accumulate in the tissues. Heat stroke can cause severe consequences, up to cardiac arrest.
Overheating of the body is facilitated by conditions that impede heat dissipation:
High humidity and air immobility.
Physical tension.
Enhanced power supply.
Long-term wearing of clothes made of synthetic, leather or rubberized fabric in conditions of high ambient temperature.
Insufficient ingestion of liquid.
More often and easier to overheat persons suffering from cardiovascular diseases, obesity, endocrine disorders, vascular-vegetative dystonia.
It should be remembered that children and the elderly tolerate overheating worse. At a young age, natural thermoregulation of the body is still imperfect, and in the elderly - already weak.
Signs of heat stroke.
Signs of heat stroke. Probably many people are familiar with slight nausea and heaviness in the head when staying in crowded transport or when boarding a car that spent the whole summer day in the parking lot. These are signs of heat stroke. However, they pass quickly, as they were caused by a slight overheating. In more severe cases, the main signs of heat or sunstroke are:
Increase in body temperature.
Redness of the skin.
Increased sweating..
Increased pulse and breathing.
Headache, dizziness, weakness, brokenness.
Walking staggering.
Drowsiness, yawning.
Noise in the ears.
Nausea, vomiting.
With prolonged exposure to heat, can there be an increase in temperature to 40? C, loss of consciousness, cramps.
Breathing is rapid, superficial.
Sometimes bleeding from the nose.
In severe cases, loss of consciousness.
It should be remembered that children and the elderly tolerate overheating worse. At a young age, natural thermoregulation of the body is still imperfect, and in the elderly - already weak.
What to do in case of heat stroke?
At the first signs of heat stroke, especially if the victim is a child or an elderly person, a doctor should be called. Before his arrival, the main task is to ensure the cooling of the body. If you feel nauseous, weakness - try to take a horizontal position lying on your back in a cool place. It is advisable to raise your legs a little by putting a rolled blanket, pillow, bag under your ankles.
Apply cold compresses on the forehead and under the back of the head (a towel moistened with cold water, even pieces of ice). In a standard driver's first aid kit, you can use a cooling bag (portable hypothermal package).
Ensure the flow of fresh air: open the windows, unbutton your clothes. If the clothes are made of dense fabric or synthetic, it is better to remove it.
If possible, pour cool (18-20C) water on the body, you can even take a cool bath.
If the consciousness is clouded, you should inhale vapors of ammonia, or a 10% solution of ammonia (it is in any pharmacy, medical center, in the driver's first aid kit).
After first aid, the doctor will assess the situation, and in most cases he will recommend bed rest for the next few days. This time is necessary to restore the course of biochemical reactions, blood circulation, nervous system activity. If you neglect the recovery period, the risk of repeated heat stroke increases many times.
How to avoid heat stroke?
Compliance with the basic rules will help to avoid the severe consequences of a heat stroke.
It should be remembered that there are a number of factors that predispose to heat stroke. These are overweight, smoking, alcohol intoxication, endocrine disorders, cardiovascular diseases.
People from these risk groups should avoid intensive physical work, staying in the sauna, bath, on the beach, in the open sun.
It is important that the onset of heat stroke is facilitated by stress and nervous tension - and we experience them in public transport and even in our own car in city traffic jams. Try not to be nervous and not to perceive the situation "close to heart."
Choose clothes from well-ventilated, natural fabrics (cotton, linen, wool).
Do not test your body: ventilate the premises regularly. The flow of fresh air ensures the correct operation of the internal systems of the body, helps to better adapt to external influences (including short-term overheating).
Going to a country house or a country picnic, be sure to protect your head from direct sunlight with a light Panama or a light umbrella.
When choosing a beach (especially for holidays with children), check the availability of showers. In case of heat stroke, cool shower water will help to cool the body and prevent unpleasant consequences.