Be aware of the symptoms to survive the summer
By Considerable
Staff • July 26, 2019
It’s a hot summer
day, and everything seems normal — you’re enjoying time outside, soaking up the
vitamin D with family members or neighbors when suddenly, something starts
to feel very, very wrong.
You start to feel confused —
maybe someone asked you a question and for some reason, you can’t quite form a
complete sentence. Maybe you went inside to cool off and become actually lost
in a building you know quite well. Next, you start to feel dizzy or
light-headed. This will likely be accompanied by a headache or nausea. The most
confusing aspect is that while you might be aware that your symptoms are caused
by the heat, you won’t be sweating at all.
If you start to
experience this feeling, seek help immediately: You’re experiencing signs of
heatstroke. Heatstroke happens when your body’s temperature exceeds 103 degrees
Fahrenheit (7 degrees above a normal 96 degrees Fahrenheit), and is usually the
result of overexerting yourself in high temperatures.
Heatstroke happens when your body’s temperature exceeds 103
degrees Fahrenheit
“With heatstroke, the
body tries to lower its internal temperature by systematically shutting down
organs to protect the heart and brain,” cardiologist Paula Montana De La
Cadena told Reader’s
Digest.
If someone
starts presenting signs
of heatstroke, call 911. In the meantime, get them into a cool or at
least shaded area as soon as possible. If you are near a home, put cool towels
on their body to lower their temperature, and try to get them to drink some
water.
To avoid heatstroke,
the biggest thing to remember is: Stay hydrated.
Dehydration is
already in place when you feel like you’re thirsty (and likely even when you
don’t), so drink water consistently on hot days even when you don’t crave it.
Similarly, make sure
to stay away from strenuous
outdoor physical activity such as exercise or yard work.
Heatstroke can happen suddenly, so it’s worth it to take extra precautions on
hot days.
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