5 Signs Of Heatstroke And How To Avoid It?

It is summertime, and that means we all should be extra cautious when it comes to the dangers of heatstroke. Heatstroke is a common condition caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures, which can lead to serious health complications or death. Unlike the popular belief, not everyone who experiences heatstroke’s will have an intense fever and sweaty skin; many people experience symptoms like confusion, nausea, headache, and trouble breathing without ever noticing they are having one!

If you’re experiencing hot flashes, muscle cramps, or heavy sweating—you might be suffering from heatstroke.

Heatstroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when your body can’t cool itself down. This happens because the temperature regulation center in the brain doesn’t work well enough to send signals to sweat and blood vessels in order to regulate your body’s temperature. Heatstroke can cause swelling of the brain and other organs which leads to coma or death if not treated quickly with medications and fluids.

In this blog post, we’ll go over what heat exhaustion is as well as how it feels so you know when symptoms are getting worse. We’ll also talk about what you should do if someone has severe symptoms of heat exhaustion.

“Please note that Heatstroke is always a medical emergency”

Here are some less-recognized heatstroke symptoms to look out for;

  • High body temperature

High-body temperature is often confused with fever. However, in heatstroke cases, the patient’s body temperature might rise but without any symptoms or discomfort associated with fever. However, the patients almost always describe that they are feeling ‘too hot’ and ‘suffocating’ with constant thirst.

  • Hot and dry skin

People close to the heatstroke patient can touch their skin to feel ‘fever-like burns and extremely dry, and sometimes white, brittle skin. Heatstroke dehydrates the body of fluids, and so the tissue becomes dry which is almost always apparent.

  • Rapid breathing & Dizziness

If you see a person breathing rapidly, having difficulty breathing (suffocation-like breathing pattern), and getting dizzy, it is highly likely that they have caught heatstroke. Fainting and falling are often the first symptoms that catch people’s eyes on a potential heatstroke victim. So, look out for these symptoms.

The heatstroke patient may also display symptoms like;

  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Headache
  • Confusion
  • Muscle cramps
  • Weakness in the extremities

How to avoid heatstroke?

Heatstroke is an extremely dangerous condition that can be deadly if not treated in time. It can happen to anyone, but most often affects people who work or exercise outdoors and those with chronic health problems.

However, Most cases of heatstroke are preventable. Follow these tips to avoid heatstroke in this summer season;

  1. Avoid exercising during the hottest parts of the day (usually between 12 AM-4 PM).
  2. Wear loose clothing made from natural fibers that breathe easily, such as cotton. The faster you sweat, the faster your body dehydrates if it is not compensated with an adequate amount of water.
  3. Drink plenty of fluids before you head out into the heat and carry water with you while on your outing. Carry Glucose-based drinks if possible to maintain electrolytic balance in your body.
  4. Stay indoors when it’s too hot outside because AC units cool buildings down more quickly than staying out in the hot sun.

 

What if heatstroke symptoms worsen?

Do not treat heatstroke patients at home besides giving them immediate help and first-aid to ease their symptoms. Call a doctor or hospital immediately. You can contact AIMS, Faridabad – a center of medical excellence having an immaculate track record of handling medical cases from a vivid background.

Keep the above-mentioned tips in mind to avoid heatstroke!

Cheers to your health 🙂

Content Reviewed by – Asian Hospital Medical Editors

 

Share