Phases Of Heat Illness: How Does Heat Affect Health?
Various stages of heat illness include heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke; all three are dangerous and detrimental to a child's health.
Our body regulates its temperature by itself. When the body gets hotter, it cools down by sweating and increased breathing and many other ways. But when someone remains in a hot environment without consuming sufficient fluid, the body may not work on the cooling process properly. This leads to a higher than normal temperature of the body. This condition is called heat illness. The primary symptoms of heat illness are a rise in body temperature accompanied by nausea, headache, vomiting, fatigue, and muscle cramps. These primary symptoms are sometimes referred to as heat exhaustion. If heat exhaustion is not treated properly and remains ignored, it can make the person sicker. This condition is called heatstroke.
Heatstroke is a serious condition characterized by an increased body temperature (hyperthermia; >40oC) that may lead to central nervous system dysfunction. The resulting outcomes are mental disabilities, shortness of breath, convulsions (uncontrollable muscle contractions), or coma (lack of consciousness). Even after hypothermia (cooling down the body temperature) or other treatments, heatstroke may result in death. Other consequences of heatstroke are toxicity to cells and organs in the entire body, kidney failure, breakdown of muscle cells, liver cells damage, heart attack, brain swelling, and various metabolic abnormalities. Heatstroke is a very complicated process, and if any symptom of heat exhaustion is found, one should visit a doctor immediately.[1-3]
TYPES
Heatstroke is categorised into two forms:[3,4]
Non-exertional stroke: This is also known as classic heatstroke. It is more commonly seen in the elderly who are not able to adjust in hot environments due to the age factor, and in persons who are having long-term illnesses. The death rate in these patients due to heatstroke is high. It develops over several days. The typical symptoms of classic heatstroke included dry skin, nausea, headache, vomiting, and deteriorating mental health. Young children are also at the risk of having classic heatstroke.
Exertional heatstroke: It is a situation in which an individual needs a medical emergency treatment. It generally develops in the young ones who exercise vigorously and have not adapted to a hot environment. A dramatic presentation of central nervous system alterations is seen, from severe headaches to seizures (a sudden and uncontrolled disturbance in the brain) and collapse. This further leads to the breakdown of muscle tissues and protein release in the blood, which causes kidney failure. Exertional heatstroke can occur within one hour of exertion and can be accelerated without exposure to high temperatures. Most of the time, it remains misdiagnosed. The typical symptoms of exertional heatstroke are wet skin and profuse sweating.
The following are the most common symptoms of heatstroke. However, each individual may experience symptoms differently. Below are the symptoms of heatstroke:[5,6]
Heatstroke can affect any person, but more risk is for them: [6,7]
To help prevent heatstroke, the following prevention measures can be used: [5,8]
If you feel you are having a heatstroke, consult your doctor immediately. Based on the symptoms, your doctor will diagnose heatstroke, but run tests to confirm the diagnosis. Firstly, the diagnosis of heatstroke is based on the triad of high body temperature (greater than 40oC), neurologic abnormalities, and recent hot weather exposure.[3,4]
If someone has signs of heatstroke, it is important to take immediate action. Treatment is very important for the person as heatstroke may cause organ failure or even death. There are some first-aid measures that can be taken while waiting for primary help to arrive, including the following:[9,10]
Prognosis
Patients with heatstroke have a high mortality rate, and it depends on many factors. The death rate due to exertional heatstroke is lower (3-5%) than to classic heatstroke (10-65%). The increased death rate is likely due to the presence of prior illnesses and older age. If rapid cooling is successful immediately, there is a zero death rate for patients with exertional heatstroke.
Complications
A patient having heatstroke becomes dehydrated, and sweating does not take place that is necessary to regulate the body temperature. Due to dehydration, the blood becomes concentrated, and organ functioning gets impaired. This can lead to tissue damage in organs, and consequently, multi-organ failure occurs. Below are the complications that are resulted due to heatstroke:
Yan YE. Med Hypotheses.2006;67(3):609-17.
Various stages of heat illness include heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke; all three are dangerous and detrimental to a child's health.
Heat stroke is the most serious of the heat-related illnesses. It can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. Know the warning signs and symptoms to seek immediate treatment.
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Various stages of heat illness include heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke; all three are dangerous and detrimental to a child's health.
Heat stroke is the most serious of the heat-related illnesses. It can occur if your body temperature rises to 104 F (40 C) or higher. Know the warning signs and symptoms to seek immediate treatment.
Don't let the fear of heat stroke keep you indoors this summer. We share a list of essential oils that you will help you beat the heat.
Exercising in the hot weather can help you burn more calories and speed up your weight-loss process. However, you can shed those extra kilos even with some fun summer activities like hiking and river rafting.
A recent study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine has revealed that a novel gene therapy has been discovered that can potentially reset a racing heart immediately paving the way for pain-free treatment for patients with heart rhythm disorder.
A new study suggests that a handful of nuts every day can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases in diabetics. Read on to know how some vitamins and minerals also strengthen your heart.
Recent study says that women are twice more likely to suffer from depression after a stroke than men. Here we list out other causes of depression among women.
It could kill a child with hyperthermia if trapped inside a car under these conditions.
Ankita Ghag, Clinical nutritionist, Vacchan Aarogya and InBody lists out dos and dont's.
Are you suffering from abnormal heart beat? Read this...
Heat stroke can wreck your health. Here is expert advice to combat it and lead a healthy life.
5 incredibly easy yoga poses that will keep you cool this summer!
Excess water can create health problems for you.
Timely detection of atrial fibrillation is crucial for effective stroke prevention.
Drink summer coolers, avoid fatty and oily food and few other expert tips to beat summer heat and avoid sunstroke.
Are you getting fried in the heat wave? Follow these tips!
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Nausea, vomiting, high body temperature and unconsciousness are some of the common signs and symptoms of heatstroke.
Heat stroke may come with unusual symptoms that can go unnoticed. We help you spot them.