Belmont31R
05-04-10, 15:37
Even though most of us should know better seems like every year I hear of people becoming DRT from heat injuries who "knew better".
3 Heat Injuries:
Heat cramps-
Heat cramps are painful, involuntary muscle spasms that usually occur during heavy exercise in hot environments. The spasms may be more intense and more prolonged than are typical nighttime leg cramps. Inadequate fluid intake often contributes to heat cramps.
Muscles most often affected include those of your calves, arms, abdominal wall and back, although heat cramps may involve any muscle group involved in exercise.
If you suspect heat cramps:
* Rest briefly and cool down
* Drink clear juice or an electrolyte-containing sports drink
* Practice gentle, range-of-motion stretching and gentle massage of the affected muscle group
* Don't resume strenuous activity for several hours or longer after heat cramps go away
* Call your doctor if your cramps don't go away within one hour or so
2. Heat Exhaustion-
Heat exhaustion is one of the heat-related syndromes, which range in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion to potentially life-threatening heatstroke.
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion often begin suddenly, sometimes after excessive exercise, heavy perspiration, and inadequate fluid or salt intake. Signs and symptoms resemble those of shock and may include:
* Feeling faint or dizzy
* Nausea
* Heavy sweating
* Rapid, weak heartbeat
* Low blood pressure
* Cool, moist, pale skin
* Low-grade fever
* Heat cramps
* Headache
* Fatigue
* Dark-colored urine
If you suspect heat exhaustion:
* Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
* Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.
* Loosen or remove the person's clothing.
* Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine.
* Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning.
* Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke.
If fever greater than 102 F (38.9 C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, call 911 or emergency medical help.
3. Heat Stroke-
Heatstroke is the most severe of the heat-related problems, often resulting from exercise or heavy work in hot environments combined with inadequate fluid intake.
Young children, older adults, people who are obese and people born with an impaired ability to sweat are at high risk of heatstroke. Other risk factors include dehydration, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease and certain medications.
What makes heatstroke severe and potentially life-threatening is that the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, are inadequate. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature — generally greater than 104 F (40 C) — with changes in mental status ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. Skin may be hot and dry — although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
* Rapid heartbeat
* Rapid and shallow breathing
* Elevated or lowered blood pressure
* Cessation of sweating
* Irritability, confusion or unconsciousness
* Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
* Headache
* Nausea
* Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults
If you suspect heatstroke:
* Move the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned space.
* Call 911 or emergency medical help.
* Cool the person by covering him or her with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan or newspaper.
* Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine, if he or she is able.
Remember it takes WEEKS to adequately hydrate yourself. Chugging water does little but make you piss a lot, a dilute your system of essential electrolytes. Take frequent but small sips of water, and no more than 12QTS a day. Its a good idea to alternate between a sports drink, and plain water. Your body needs both the electrolytes/minerals, and fluid to keep going. Go without one and you'll be out. Monitor you urine color in addition to your sweating, skin condition, brain alertness, and the other signs listed above. If you piss, and its darker yellow to orange, and feels hot you need to stop what you are doing, and drink some water AND gatorade. If you are thirsty you already becoming dehydrated. Keep your activity levels to a minimum during the hottest part of the day which is usually mid afternoon. Keep higher activity to mornings, and evenings. Eat good healthy meals to keep your energy levels up, and eat a fruit or two during the day. This may not be unnecessary but I usually keep Pedialyte around anyways due to 2 young kids in the house but its not a bad idea to drink some yourself on the worst days.
If you are around kids or elderly people keep close attention to them as they are either too young to know any better or you get the stubbborn old person who refuses to keep their house cool in the summers due to the cost, and bake to death inside their own home. Keep your kids drinking fluids all day when they are out running around. Don't let them go hours outside without anything thinking they'll just come inside if they get thirsty. Also keep plenty of sunblock on them while you are at it.
This is the time of the year I start taking a cooler full of water, gatorade, and ice with me to the range because invariably there is always "that guy" there who didn't bother to bring anything in triple digit heat.
And lastly if you are going hiking/camping bring more water than you think you will need. Its easy to haul around an extra gallon than a 175-200lb limp body because you passed out or go into cardiac arrest. If you get heat stroke out in the sticks you're likely not going to make it to medical help in time to save you. Its not worth thinking you'll find water in a stream out on the trail or go by bare minimum daily standards. Take gatorade or other drink packets with you, and either do a light mix or alternate between water and the mix. Take food that will give your body energy, and wear clothes that keeps sunlight off your skin but still allows you to breathe. Dirty clothes block air from moving around you skin, and its like wearing a plastic bag. Keep yourself and your clothes as clean as possible.
Anyone got anything else to add?
3 Heat Injuries:
Heat cramps-
Heat cramps are painful, involuntary muscle spasms that usually occur during heavy exercise in hot environments. The spasms may be more intense and more prolonged than are typical nighttime leg cramps. Inadequate fluid intake often contributes to heat cramps.
Muscles most often affected include those of your calves, arms, abdominal wall and back, although heat cramps may involve any muscle group involved in exercise.
If you suspect heat cramps:
* Rest briefly and cool down
* Drink clear juice or an electrolyte-containing sports drink
* Practice gentle, range-of-motion stretching and gentle massage of the affected muscle group
* Don't resume strenuous activity for several hours or longer after heat cramps go away
* Call your doctor if your cramps don't go away within one hour or so
2. Heat Exhaustion-
Heat exhaustion is one of the heat-related syndromes, which range in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion to potentially life-threatening heatstroke.
Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion often begin suddenly, sometimes after excessive exercise, heavy perspiration, and inadequate fluid or salt intake. Signs and symptoms resemble those of shock and may include:
* Feeling faint or dizzy
* Nausea
* Heavy sweating
* Rapid, weak heartbeat
* Low blood pressure
* Cool, moist, pale skin
* Low-grade fever
* Heat cramps
* Headache
* Fatigue
* Dark-colored urine
If you suspect heat exhaustion:
* Get the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location.
* Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly.
* Loosen or remove the person's clothing.
* Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine.
* Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning.
* Monitor the person carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly become heatstroke.
If fever greater than 102 F (38.9 C), fainting, confusion or seizures occur, call 911 or emergency medical help.
3. Heat Stroke-
Heatstroke is the most severe of the heat-related problems, often resulting from exercise or heavy work in hot environments combined with inadequate fluid intake.
Young children, older adults, people who are obese and people born with an impaired ability to sweat are at high risk of heatstroke. Other risk factors include dehydration, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease and certain medications.
What makes heatstroke severe and potentially life-threatening is that the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, are inadequate. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature — generally greater than 104 F (40 C) — with changes in mental status ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. Skin may be hot and dry — although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
* Rapid heartbeat
* Rapid and shallow breathing
* Elevated or lowered blood pressure
* Cessation of sweating
* Irritability, confusion or unconsciousness
* Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
* Headache
* Nausea
* Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults
If you suspect heatstroke:
* Move the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned space.
* Call 911 or emergency medical help.
* Cool the person by covering him or her with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan or newspaper.
* Have the person drink cool water or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine, if he or she is able.
Remember it takes WEEKS to adequately hydrate yourself. Chugging water does little but make you piss a lot, a dilute your system of essential electrolytes. Take frequent but small sips of water, and no more than 12QTS a day. Its a good idea to alternate between a sports drink, and plain water. Your body needs both the electrolytes/minerals, and fluid to keep going. Go without one and you'll be out. Monitor you urine color in addition to your sweating, skin condition, brain alertness, and the other signs listed above. If you piss, and its darker yellow to orange, and feels hot you need to stop what you are doing, and drink some water AND gatorade. If you are thirsty you already becoming dehydrated. Keep your activity levels to a minimum during the hottest part of the day which is usually mid afternoon. Keep higher activity to mornings, and evenings. Eat good healthy meals to keep your energy levels up, and eat a fruit or two during the day. This may not be unnecessary but I usually keep Pedialyte around anyways due to 2 young kids in the house but its not a bad idea to drink some yourself on the worst days.
If you are around kids or elderly people keep close attention to them as they are either too young to know any better or you get the stubbborn old person who refuses to keep their house cool in the summers due to the cost, and bake to death inside their own home. Keep your kids drinking fluids all day when they are out running around. Don't let them go hours outside without anything thinking they'll just come inside if they get thirsty. Also keep plenty of sunblock on them while you are at it.
This is the time of the year I start taking a cooler full of water, gatorade, and ice with me to the range because invariably there is always "that guy" there who didn't bother to bring anything in triple digit heat.
And lastly if you are going hiking/camping bring more water than you think you will need. Its easy to haul around an extra gallon than a 175-200lb limp body because you passed out or go into cardiac arrest. If you get heat stroke out in the sticks you're likely not going to make it to medical help in time to save you. Its not worth thinking you'll find water in a stream out on the trail or go by bare minimum daily standards. Take gatorade or other drink packets with you, and either do a light mix or alternate between water and the mix. Take food that will give your body energy, and wear clothes that keeps sunlight off your skin but still allows you to breathe. Dirty clothes block air from moving around you skin, and its like wearing a plastic bag. Keep yourself and your clothes as clean as possible.
Anyone got anything else to add?