In medicine, heat damage or heat illnesses are health disorders that can occur if the outside temperature is high for a long time. Sweating through sports or other physical exertion and lack of liquid promotes the development. When the body is depleted of fluids and salts, it cannot sweat enough to keep itself cool. The body can overheat, cramps can set in, and the circulatory system can collapse. An exception is sunstroke, where the head and neck have been exposed to direct sunlight for too long.
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| heat damage symptoms |
Heat Illnesses Symptoms
The various heat injuries can be recognized by the different symptoms. However, some disease characteristics can be similar or occur in several forms.
- Heat exhaustion can occur when the body loses excess fluids and salts (electrolytes) through sweat while not being replenished. Bathers, hikers, athletes and people who work in warm, poorly ventilated rooms are often affected. You should go to cool places, or be taken there, rest and have suitable drinks (e.g. mineral water, electrolyte drinks). Heat exhaustion can lead to life-threatening heat stroke.
- In heat exhaustion, the brain does not receive enough blood, causing those affected to lose consciousness. The reason is that the blood is distributed differently in the body when it is overheated. Those affected lose consciousness; but usually only for a short time, because more blood flows into the brain when lying down. Patients should rest in cool places and drink plenty of fluids if conscious.
- Heat cramps can appear when the body has lost a lot of electrolytes through sweating in the heat. This can lead to painful spasms in skeletal muscles such as the arms and legs. Suitable drinks (e.g. electrolyte drinks), food (e.g. bouillon) and preparations with important salts (e.g. magnesium, calcium) can help.
- In the case of sunstroke, prolonged exposure to the sun on the head and neck has irritated the meninges. Typical consequences include headaches, neck pain and neck stiffness. The head is red and hot, but the body is normally warm. As a rule, the symptoms appear with a time delay, i.e. often late in the afternoon or in the evening. Loss of consciousness, circulatory collapse and death are also possible with severe sunstroke. If relief measures (resting in a cool place, drinking a lot, cooling with cold compresses or cool packs) do not work quickly, symptoms worsen and the person concerned loses consciousness, medical treatment should be sought.
- A heat stroke is characterized by the body temperature rising to over 40 °C. The whole body is feverishly hot, at least at the beginning, the skin is dry. The pulse is quickened but can be hard to feel because the blood pressure is very low. Cramps, movement disorders, headaches, dizziness, clouding of consciousness and hallucinations can also occur. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and bystanders should call an ambulance. You should immediately take those affected out of the direct sun, move them to a cool place and cool their arms, legs, neck and groin as much as possible. If people are responsive and not vomiting, they should drink fluids.
Call an ambulance immediately!
In the case of very severe symptoms such as severe vomiting, seizures, clouded consciousness, unconsciousness and coma, an emergency doctor should come. Severe heat damage can result in serious, permanent damage and, in extreme cases, death.
Prevention
Heat damage can be prevented by protecting yourself from overheating, drinking enough fluids, not exercising too much physically in hot temperatures and covering your head and neck in direct sunlight.