Causes and Symptoms
Heatstroke is caused by a sudden increase in body temperature. When a subject is subjected to intense thermal stress, the mechanisms responsible for thermoregulation can fail.
This failure is responsible for the classic symptoms associated with heat stroke: the skin becomes hot and dehydrated, sweating stops and the body temperature rises considerably.
These symptoms are preceded by warning signs such as nausea, confusion, blurred vision, a sense of weakness, tachycardia and ringing in the ears. To learn more see: Heat Stroke Symptoms.
Differences between sunstroke (insolation) and heat stroke
Complications
During a heat stroke the internal temperature can reach 40-42 ° C, subjecting the whole organism to considerable stress. If you do not intervene in time, the consequences can be very serious and even fatal.
The only way to avoid the occurrence of a cardiovascular collapse is to try to reduce the temperature of the unfortunate as quickly as possible. The damage caused by heat stroke is in fact directly correlated to the extent and duration of the hyperthermia.
Treatment
The application of ice and the complete immersion of the body in cold water are among the simplest and most effective interventions to help those affected by heat stroke. While waiting for help, further measures can be taken such as rubbing the skin with alcohol, ventilating the subject with a cloth, dabbing him with a towel soaked in cold water and storing him in a cool and shady place. Any treatments that can lower body temperature can be helpful.
Prevention
Heatstroke is more frequent in the summer and mainly affects children, obese and the elderly. An obese person is more than three times more likely to suffer from fatal heat stroke than a normal weight person. For all these people it is very important to prevent the risk of heat diseases by adopting simple measures dictated by common sense (do not expose yourself to the sun in the hottest hours of the day, try to lose weight, avoid excessively large meals and stay well hydrated by avoiding alcoholic beverages) .
In addition to the ambient temperature, it is essential to keep humidity levels under control. In fact, many heat strokes occur in conditions of not excessive temperature, but with humidity levels above 90%.
Heatstroke and Sport
Athletes are also particularly at risk of heat stroke, especially those who improvise in the hottest hours of the day. In such situations, despite the sweat and the cooling effect of the air, the heat produced by the body far exceeds its dissipation capacity.
Sweating is not synonymous with losing weight and it makes no sense to put your health at risk by exercising during the hottest hours. On the streets, too many sportsmen are still seen running in slimming suits or synthetic material. Intense sweating decreases plasma volume causing a rapid rise in body temperature and making the body even more susceptible to heat stroke.
It is therefore advisable to:
- wear light, light-colored and breathable clothing;
- keep well hydrated before, during and after sporting activity;
- avoid practicing your exercises when the temperature exceeds 28 ° C;
- keep in mind that heatstroke more frequently affects people who are overweight or in modest conditions.
If the typical symptoms of heatstroke appear during sporting activity, it is important to stop it immediately. During the monitoring of his condition the athlete or whoever for him should not refer to the oral temperature since this is generally lower (even a few degrees ) to the rectal one.
Other strokes of medical interest: witch stroke and whiplash
