Heat, a real killer

Heat stroke is a real and deadly condition that is common during the summer months, particularly when people are engaged in outdoor activities. Dehydration is the major precipitant due to inadequate fluid intake to compensate for heat losing mechanisms of the body, including sweating and peripheral vasodilation (dilation of blood vessels near the skin). The body struggles when there is concomitant humidity, but by the time a person feels thirsty, they are already dehydrated. Therefore it is important to frequently drink water on warm days and drink more if there is exercise involved. 2-4 cups of water per hour is a good aim. Caffeine in coffee and other beverages, and alcohol increases the rate at which water is lost from the body, and should be avoided. Midday, when heat is at its peak should be avoided, particularly when participating in sport, and sports drinks assist the body with retaining electrolytes. Heat stroke begins with muscle cramping and weakness, followed by heat exhaustion which is characterized by a slight fever with confusion, nausea and anxiety. The final stage of heat stroke involves a high temperature, sweating stops, delirium and coma can pursue. Treatment for the early stages includes removing the person from heat, cooling them down, giving cool fluids and applying cold towels to aid recovery. Later stages require rapid cooling and intravenous fluids. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to the affects of heat, as are people with sunburn, tiredness, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, obesity, thyroid dysfunction, diabetes and respiratory tract infections.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Penn State Live

Related Disease Topics:

• Heat stroke
• Heat exhaustion
• Dehydration
• Sunburn
• Alcohol abuse
• Eating disorders
• Obesity
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Diabetes
• Respiratory tract infections

Related Symptom Topics:

• Sweating
• Muscle cramping
• Muscle weakness
• Slight fever
• Fever
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Anxiety
• High temperature
• Sweating stops
• Delirium
• Coma
• Tiredness

Article Source Details

About: Heat, a real killer

Date: 29 June 2005

Source: Penn State Live

Author: John Messmer

URL: http://live.psu.edu/story/12562

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of sweating
• Cause of muscle cramping
• Cause of muscle weakness
• Cause of cause of slight fever
• Cause of fever
• Cause of confusion
• Cause of nausea
• Cause of anxiety
• Cause of high temperature
• Cause of sweating stops
• Cause of delirium
• Cause of coma
• Cause of heat stroke
• Cause of heat exhaustion
• Cause of dehydration
• Cause of sunburn
• Cause of tiredness
• Risk and sweating
• Risk and muscle cramping
• Risk and muscle weakness
• Risk and slight fever
• Risk and fever
• Risk and confusion
• Risk and nausea
• Risk and anxiety
• Risk and high temperature
• Risk and sweating stops
• Risk and delirium
• Risk and coma
• Risk and tiredness
• Risk and heat stroke
• Risk and heat exhaustion
• Risk and dehydration
• Risk and sunburn
• Risk and alcohol abuse
• Risk and eating disorders
• Risk and obesity
• Risk and thyroid dysfunction
• Risk and diabetes
• Risk and respiratory tract infections
• Diagnosed
• Diagnosed and dehydration
• Diagnosed and heat stroke
• Diagnosed and heat exhaustion
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and sweating
• Muscle cramping
• Muscle weakness
• Diagnosis and slight fever
• Diagnosis and fever
• Diagnosis and confusion
• Diagnosis and nausea
• Diagnosis and anxiety
• Diagnosis and high temperature
• Diagnosis and sweating stops
• Diagnosis and delirium
• Diagnosis and coma
• Diagnosis and tiredness

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