How To Treat Heat Stroke (Sunstroke) At Home|Heat Stroke Treatment & Management

How To Treat Heatstroke

Description:

It is also called heat stroke sunburn, sometimes heat fever or sunstroke. It occurs in the event of failure of the body's mechanisms to control the temperature. This is a medical emergency that can put a person's life at risk and requires immediate treatment. Many people feel uncomfortable and unwell during heatwaves, but most of them suffer only from heat-induced exhaustion, a generally less serious disorder, which can, however, turn into a stroke. heat if not identified and treated properly.

There are two types of heat stroke: classic heat stroke, which is not related to physical activity, and heat stroke, which is the opposite of exercise. Classic heat stroke most commonly occurs in very young people or, on the contrary, in older people. These people are generally frail and the environmental conditions in which they live are usually poor, including difficulty in obtaining fluids and access to air conditioning. Exercise-related heat stroke occurs more frequently in younger, healthy people who engage in strenuous physical activity.

Diagnostic:

Heatstroke is diagnosed through the observation of signs and symptoms, such as body temperature, as well as a summary of the person's recent activities.

Treatment :

Heat stroke is a medical emergency. Learn to recognize the symptoms mentioned above and take appropriate action yourself. The victim of heat stroke must go to the emergency room as soon as possible, but the first step is to regain control of the internal temperature.

If you think someone has suffered heat stroke, start treating them right away while a third party calls 911 urgently. The absolute priority is to immediately lower the temperature of the victim. The most effective solution is to protect the person from the sun and immerse in cold water (river, stream or bathtub). You can also help him cool himself while waiting for help by fanning him vigorously and giving him water with a lukewarm mist fogger. You can also take off some of your clothes and apply cold water towels or ice packs to the groin, neck, armpits and head.

If the person starts to shudder, slow down the rate of your attenuation method because the tremor increases the internal temperature. Take its temperature every 10 minutes if you have a thermometer. You should try to reach a temperature of 39 ° C (102 ° F) because a temperature that is too low may be dangerous (hypothermia). During this time, make the necessary arrangements to take the victim to an emergency room. Watch for signs of respiratory arrest (respiratory failure), and be ready to perform resuscitation with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation if necessary.

The victim of heat exhaustion must be installed in a cool place. Spread it on the floor and sip it every few minutes. Sports drinks are the best, but often water is the most readily available drink. Blot the victim with cool water and remove any unnecessary clothing. Pay particular attention to the signs of deterioration, but be aware that it is not expressly urgent to take her to the hospital in the classic case of heat-induced exhaustion. The symptoms usually persist for 2 to 3 hours.

To avoid this type of problem, drink in large quantities during heat waves, especially if you plan to work or play sports outdoors. If you exercise, it is recommended to drink about 500 ml to 1.8 L of water in the 3 hours before exercise, to which you will need to add 200 ml to 250 ml every 20 minutes during the exercise itself. At the end of physical activity, fluid loss continues and it is important to continue drinking water for several hours after exercise. Some experts advise to continue until the urine becomes pale.

Do not take salt pellets unless you drink plenty of water too. In very hot environments, drink every hour, whether you are thirsty or not, as thirst is a late indicator of dehydration. Here are some other methods of prevention:

• during the summer, avoid outdoor activities that are too intense during the hottest hours of the day (between 10 am and 3 pm);
• avoid staying in the sun, as possible;
• if you have to stay in a warm environment, take 10 to 20 minutes of break in the shade or in a place with air conditioning for every hour of activity.
• wear loose clothing in light colors (light colors reflect sunlight better) and a hat with wide brim;
• try to rest in the shade during the hottest hours of the day;
• avoid coffee and alcohol, especially beer, which facilitate fluid losses.