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What is Heat Stroke?

Heat stroke is one of the most serious forms of heat injury. Heat stroke is also considered a medical emergency. In case you suspect that a person has a heat stroke or a sunstroke, immediately offer them first aid until any paramedics arrive.

Heat stroke is a condition that causes brain damage and also to the other internal organs. Usually, people who are above 50 years of age, suffer a heat stroke, but, it may also take a toll on healthy young athletes. Heat cramps, fainting as well as heat exhaustion are the result of progression from milder heat-related illnesses leading to heat stroke. However, there are chances that you may get a heat stroke, if you have no previous heat injury signs or symptoms. Dehydration and heat stroke goes hand in hand. Prolonged exposure to high temperatures may result in a heat stroke. Heat stroke symptoms include confusion, coma, seizures, and disorientation, rapid breathing, nausea and vomiting, headache, flushed skin as well as alteration in sweating.

Causes of Heat Stroke

Heatstroke can occur as a result of:

  • Exposure to a hot environment: Nonexertional (classic) heatstroke which is a type of heat stroke wherein hot environment results in rising of the core body temperature. Usually, this type of heatstroke happens post exposure to hot and humid weather generally for prolonged periods. This condition also occurs mostly in older adults as well as in people that has chronic illness.
  • Strenuous activity: Exertional heatstroke is a result of an increase in core body temperature that is brought on by vigorous physical activity in hot weather. In case someone exercises or works in hot weather can easily get exertional heatstroke. However, generally, it may occur in case you're not used to high temperatures.
  • Wearing excess clothing: This results in preventing sweat from easily evaporating and cooling your body
  • Drinking alcohol: This will affect your body's ability in regulating your temperature
  • Dehydration: If you do not drink enough water for replenishing fluids lost due to sweating, you may get dehydrated.

Types of Heat Stroke

There are two types of heat stroke:

  1. Exertional heatstroke: This is a type of heat stroke that usually occurs due to strenuous exercise or sports without proper preparation or hydration. This is a medical emergency condition that can be life threatening wherein your core body temperature ≥ 40.5°C [105°F]) and also results in dysfunction of central nervous system.
  2. Non-exertional heatstroke: This type of heat stroke usually occurs in extremely younger crowd or elderly people. Usually, older people aren’t fit and therefore may suffer from some other medical conditions that make them more prone to certain complications when hit by heatstroke.

Treatment

What should you do in case your heat stroke worsens?

Untreated cases of heats stroke are life threatening and can lead to brain damage and other vital organs such as kidneys, muscles and heart. The longer the treatment is delayed, higher are the risks associated due to heat stroke. Therefore, if in any case you feel that your heat stroke worsens, immediately seek medical help.

What are the available heat stroke treatment options?

Heatstroke can be treated by bringing your body to a normal temperature by cooling in order to prevent or decrease the chances of damaging your brain and other vital organs. To treat heat stroke, your doctor may take the below mentioned steps:
  • Immersing you in cold water. A cold water bath or ice water bath is the most effective ways of lowering your core body temperature quickly. You are at a lesser risk of death and organ damage in case you are quickly immersed in cold water.
  • Using evaporation techniques of cooling. Your doctor may also try lowering your body temperature by using a cooling technique of evaporation method. Here, misting of cool water is done in your body while warming air is used for fanning over you, thus resulting the water to evaporate and finally cool your body.
  • Pack you with cooling blankets or ice packs. This is one more method of cooling your body by wrapping your body in a special cooling blanket & then applying ice packs to your back, armpits, groin, and neck for lowering your temperature.
  • Medications to stop from shivering. In case all the above methods lead to shivering, your doctor may prescribe you a muscle relaxant like benzodiazepine.

Are there any natural or home remedies for heat stroke?

It is important that you seek medical treatment immediately in case you find signs and symptoms of heat stroke since Home treatment won’t be enough for heatstroke treatment. People surrounding the patient should take necessary steps to cool you.

Mentioned below are some of the home remedies that needs to be taken to lower your body temperature:

  • Enter any place in shade or an air-conditioned place. In case you feel the symptoms of heat stroke and you do not have an air conditioner at home, you may visit a mall or a movie theater or to someone’s house nearby who has an air conditioner in the house/office.
  • Spray cool water or damp sheets. In case you know someone who is suffering from the symptoms of heat stroke, you can try cooling the person by covering him/her with the help of damp sheets or by simply spraying cool water. You may also air onto the person directly with a fan.
  • Taking a cool shower or ice water bath. In case you are outdoors you can soak in a cool pond or a stream that can help in bringing down your temperature.
  • Rehydrate. You may rehydrate by drinking plenty of fluids. Besides, a person lose a lot of salt from the body due to excessive sweating, therefore you can replenish salt as well as water with some sports drinks. In case your doctor has strictly restricted your salt and any other fluid intake, it is advisable to re-check with him to confirm whether you should drink and also whether you need to replace salt.
  • Do not consume any sugary drink or alcoholic beverages for rehydration. Such drinks and very cold drinks will tend to interfere with your body's ability to control your temperature. Cold drinks may also result in stomach cramping.

When to see a doctor?

In case you think that a person might be experiencing a heatstroke, it is important to immediately seek medical help. You need to immediately take action to cool the overheated person till the time you wait for emergency treatment. All you need to do is:

  • Get the person indoors or in shade
  • Remove any excessive clothing.
  • Try cooling the person suffering from heat stroke by putting in a cool tub filled with water or a cool shower. You may also sponge the person with cold water, spray with a garden hose, fan him/her while misting with cool water.
  • Alternatively, you may also place ice packs, wet towels or cold towels on the person's groin, armpits, neck or head.

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