Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.
Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.
Medical Author: Melissa Conrad St?ppler, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel, Jr, MD, FACP, FACR
In summer, heat waves can strike areas of the country where cooler climates
are the norm. In these areas, many homes do not have air conditioning, and
surviving in the extreme temperatures becomes a challenge for everyone. The
following steps can help you keep cool during a heat wave even if you have
an air-conditioned home.
Use box fans and ceiling fans
to promote air circulation throughout
your home. Opening doors in the house and using box fans to push hot air
outdoors can function as an ?exhaust? system and draw cooler evening air
into the house. In the cooler evenings, open all windows and promote as much
air circulation as possible. When the sun rises, close all doors and
windows, making sure to close curtains and blinds as well, to keep the
indoors cool for as long as possible. When the outside air cools to a lower
temperature than inside (usually in the evenings or at night), open up the
windows and turn on the fans again.
Take advantage of the cooling power of water. Fill buckets or basins and soak your feet. Wet towels and
bandannas can have a cooling effect when worn on the shoulders or head. Take
cool showers or baths, and consider using a spray bottle filled with cold
water for refreshing spritzes
throughout the day.
The body cools itself by sweating and allowing that sweat to evaporate. This
requires enough fluid in the body to make sweat, air circulating across the skin,
and low air humidity to allow that sweat to evaporate.
Activity in a hot environment can overwhelm the body's ability to cool
itself, causing heat-related symptoms.
Heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke when the body's temperature
regulation fails. The affected individual becomes confused, lethargic and may
have a seizure, the
skin stops sweating and the body temperature may exceed 106 F (41 C ). This is a
life-threatening condition and emergency medical attention is needed
immediately.
Treatment for heat exhaustion includes recognizing the symptoms, stopping the activity, and moving
to a cooler environment. Rehydration with water or a sports drink is the
cornerstone of treatment for heat exhaustion. If nausea or vomiting prevents the
affected individual from drinking enough water,
intravenous fluids may be required.
What is heat exhaustion?
The body cools itself most efficiently by sweating and then the sweat
evaporating. Should sweating be unable to meet the cooling demands of the body,
heat-related illness can occur. This is a spectrum of conditions with minor
symptoms such as prickly heat or heat rash, progressing to heat cramps, then heat
exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical condition.
The line between each diagnosis is not sharply drawn. Heat cramps tend to
involve involuntary spasm of the large muscles of the body while heat exhaustion
has more systemic complaints. These can include profuse sweating, weakness,
nausea, vomiting, headaches, and muscle spasms.
The affected individual may be a low
grade fever. Heat stroke is a life-threatening situation where the
body's cooling system fails. The body temperature spirals out of control usually
greater than 106F (41C), sweating stops and there are mental status changes like
confusion, seizure, or coma.
Heat exhaustion occurs when a person exercises or works in a hot environment
and sweating cannot dissipate the heat generated within the body. Often
dehydration occurs because the
person hasn't replaced the water lost by
sweating.
Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. Some of the symptoms of low blood pressure include light-headedness, dizziness, or even fainting if not enough blood is getting to the brain. Diseases and medications can also cause low blood pressure. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys; the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.
Dizziness is a symptom that is often applies to a variety of sensations including lightheadedness and vertigo. Causes of dizziness include low blood pressure, heart problems, anemia, dehydration, and more. Treatment of dizziness depends on the cause.
Heat rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating. It can occur at any age and it appears as a rash that itches or feels prickly, and looks like a red cluster of pimples or small blisters. Pictures of heat rash are included.
Muscle spasms are involuntary muscle contractions that come on suddenly and are usually quite painful. Dehydration, doing strenuous exercise in a hot environment, prolonged muscle use, and certain diseases of the nervous system may cause muscle spasms. Symptoms and signs of a muscle spasm include an acute onset of pain and a possible bulge seen or felt beneath the skin where the muscle is located. Gently stretching the muscle usually resolves a muscle spasm.
Dehydration is the excessive loss of body water. There are a number of causes of dehydration including heat exposure, prolonged vigorous exercise, and some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The best way to treat dehydration is to prevent it from occurring.
Heat stroke (heatstroke or sun stroke) is a form of hyperthermia. Heat stroke is a true medical emergency that can be fatal if not promptly and properly treated. Symptoms of heat stroke include: high body temperature, absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin, rapid pulse, difficulty breathing, strange behavior, hallucinations, confusion, agitation, disorientation, seizure, and coma. A victim of heat stroke must receive immediate treatment to avoid permanent organ damage.
Nausea is an uneasiness of the stomach that often precedes vomiting. Nausea and vomiting are not diseases, but they are symptoms of many conditions. The causes of vomiting differ according to age, and treatment depends upon the cause of nausea and vomiting.
Cystic fibrosis is a disease of the mucus and sweat glands. Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease. The outcome of the disease leaves the body malnourished, bulky and fouls smelling stools, vitamin insufficiency, gas, painful or swollen abdomen, infertility, susceptible to heat emergencies, and respiratory failure. There is no cure for cystic fibrosis, treatment of symptoms is used to manage the disease.
Orthostatic hypotension symptoms include lightheadedness, weakness, blurred vision, and syncope or passing out. Causes of orthostatic hypotension include dehydration, anemia, medication, blood loss, low blood pressure, heat related illnesses and more. Treatment of orthostatic hypotension depends on the underlying cause.
Sunburn is caused by overexposure to UV radiation from the sun. UV rays can also damage the eyes. Repeated overexposure to UV rays also increases the risk for scarring, freckles, wrinkles, and dry skin. Symptoms of sunburn include painful, red, tender, and hot skin. The skin may blister, swell, and peel. Sun poisoning (severe sunburn) include nausea, fever, chills, rapid pulse, dizziness and more. Treatment for sunburn depends upon the severity. Sun protection and sunscreen for an individual's skin type is recommended to decrease the chance of sunburn.
Sun sensitivity (photosensitivity) is an inflammation of the skin induced by the combination of medications or substances and sunlight. The affect on the skin is redness, which looks similar to a sunburn. Generally, these reactions are either phototoxic or photoallergic. Phototoxic drugs are more common than photoallergic drugs. Symptoms of phototoxic reactions are a burning and stinging sensation and then redness. Symptoms of photoallergic reactions are itching, redness, swelling, blisters of the affected area. Treatment generally is discontinuation of the medication and topical application of creams.
Hyperthermia is the overheating of the body. Heat-related illnesses like heat stroke, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat rash, and sunburn are all hyperthermia conditions. Treatment of these conditions depends upon the condition, environment, and circumstances. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, and may result in death if not treated promptly. Heat exhaustion may lead to heat stroke if not treated properly.
Heat cramps usually affect people who sweat a lot during strenuous activity or work in a hot humid environment. Symptoms of heat cramps are muscle pains or spasms, usually in the abdomen, arms or legs that occur in association with strenuous activity. Heat cramps is part of a group of heat-related illnesses.
First aid is a complicated subject and it is situation-specific. First aid is the help and medical assistance that someone gives, not only to an injured person, but to a person who is sick. Preparedness is a key element of first aid, like having basic medical emergency kits in your home, car, boat, or RV. Cuts, puncture wounds, sprains, strains, nosebleeds are one type of injury that may require first aid; heart attacks, strokes, seizures, and heat stroke are examples of more critical first aid emergencies.
Natural diasters such as a hurricane can take a toll on family, friends, and neighbors. Both physiological and psychological stresses can be devastating. Learn how to prepare for a hurricane like food storage, safe water, first aid measures, cleaning mold, wearing protective gear, preparing for electrical hazards, avoiding carbon monoxide, avoiding physical injuries and hazardous materials, preventing drowning, reducing the risk of thermal stress, and preventing fatigue related injuries.
Sunburn is an inflammation of the skin that is caused by overexposure to
ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun. A similar burn can follow overexposure
to a "sun" (UV or tanning) lamp. UV radiation can also damage the eyes, although no
surface burn is apparent.
Sunburn is a very common condition. In the United States, approximately 30%
to 40% of adults and close to 80% of children and adolescents report having at
least one sunburn in the preceding year.
Can sunburn cause permanent damage?
Yes. Sunburn early in life increases the risk of developing skin cancer later
on. Repeated overexposure to ultraviolet rays can also
scar,
freckle, dry out,
and wrinkle the skin prematurely. In addition, frequent overexposure to
ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of developing eye cataracts and
macular
degeneration, a leading cause of blindness.
