You feel your heart beating fast, dizzy, have a headache, sweat in the hot sun, you are likely to have heatstroke, heat shock, need immediate cooling measures.
On May 19, Dr. Dang Hoang Diep, Emergency Department, Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases, said that heatstroke makes us tired, dizzy, headache, and can lead to stroke. If not treated promptly, the patient may suffer from irreversible neurological sequelae or multi-organ damage, leading to death.
What is sunstroke, heatstroke?
Heatstroke is a condition in which the body's temperature increases due to exposure to high environmental temperatures, or excessive physical activity, exceeding the thermoregulatory center's ability to regulate, leading to a disorder in the ability to control body temperature. Heatstroke can progress to develop into heat stroke.
Heat stroke, also known as heat stroke, is a condition of severe hyperthermia (>40 degrees Celsius) accompanied by dysfunction of the nervous, circulatory, and respiratory systems due to the effects of heat or excessive physical activity.
Heatstroke often occurs in the afternoon when there are many infrared rays, combined with working in places with high temperature, high humidity, and poor ventilation. Heatstroke often occurs at noon when the sun is very hot, there are many ultraviolet rays, combined with working in hot, high humidity, and poor air circulation.
Expression
Mild signs of heatstroke include rapid heart rate, rapid breathing, flushed skin, possibly sweating, accompanied by dizziness, lightheadedness, headache, and nausea. More severe symptoms, if not treated promptly, include hypotension, neurological dysfunction including altered consciousness, agitation, delirium, confusion, seizures, and coma.
Excessively high body temperature can also cause severe electrolyte disturbances, homeostasis disorders, and possibly bleeding (conjunctival hemorrhage, hematuria) due to blood clotting disorders. Even more serious is multiple organ failure leading to death.
Agent
According to doctors, children or the elderly, due to their poor ability to regulate temperature and adapt to the heat, are susceptible to heatstroke. In addition, factors such as lack of adaptation to the climate, exercising and working in hot environments, wearing inappropriate clothing (too thick, tight, waterproof, heat-absorbing), dehydration but not drinking enough water, will cause heatstroke and shock.
People who are taking certain medications that reduce sweating such as diuretics, beta blockers, anticholinergics, ethanol, antihistamines, or have fever, hormonal disorders, obesity, are also susceptible to heatstroke and heat stroke.
Saigon people in the hot sun, April 2023. Photo: Quynh Tran
Treatment
About one hour from the first signs of heatstroke or severe heatstroke is the "golden time" for emergency treatment. Therefore, initial first aid at the scene is very important.
First, take the patient to a cool, airy place (a shady place, a cool car or a cool house), call for emergency assistance. While waiting for emergency assistance, clear the airway, perform artificial respiration and chest compressions if the patient is unconscious and has no pulse. Immediately apply cooling measures to lower the body temperature, measure the body temperature if there is a thermometer.
Remove the patient's clothes and apply warm water to the patient, then use a fan to increase evaporation. The patient should lie on his side or be supported in a position with his hands on his knees so that the skin surface can receive as much wind as possible. Apply cold towels or ice packs to the armpits, groin, and neck. Give plenty of water or electrolyte solution if the patient is conscious and able to drink.
Finally, transfer the patient to the hospital. Cooling continues during transport to lower the patient's temperature.
Prevention
Doctors advise that when going out in the hot sun, you should cover your body by wearing loose, light, light-colored clothing, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunscreen. Drink plenty of water even if you don't feel thirsty. You can drink water mixed with a little salt or drink an oral rehydration solution, fruit juice, and avoid drinking carbonated soft drinks and energy drinks.
Do not work too long in the sun or in hot environments. Avoid strenuous physical activities. Take regular breaks after about 45 minutes or an hour of continuous work in hot places, and rest in a cool place for 10-15 minutes.
Always wear full sun and heat protection equipment such as protective clothing, safety helmets, wide-brimmed hats, and sunglasses. Create a cool space in the working environment, especially in factories, tunnels, and furnaces.
When going from a hot sunny environment to a shady place, the body will sweat a lot, the body temperature will be high. At that time, if you take a bath immediately, it will cause a sudden change in body temperature, which is very dangerous, and can lead to a stroke.
During hot weather, you should drink plenty of water, eat cool foods, vegetables and fruits that contain a lot of potassium such as jute, Malabar spinach, pennywort, tomatoes. Wear loose, cool clothes that allow sweat to escape. Do not let children or anyone in a car with the engine off in hot weather, even for a short time, because the temperature in a car can increase by more than 11 degrees Celsius in just 10 minutes.
Thuy Quynh
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