The world keeps getting hotter with each passing year. With global warming on a rise, temperatures are soaring and every single person and animal in the world is feeling the effects. Excessive heat can cause a number of problems for humans, the severity of which can vary widely. Since you or anyone near you can suffer from those heat related issues at any point in the future, you need to be aware of the first aid procedures required to stabilise the person suffering from those issues.
The two main heat related issues happen to be heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Let’s take a look at them and what first aid is required for these heat related issues.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is something a person experiences when the body loses too much water and salts via excessive sweating. The excessive sweating may be a result of exercising in a very hot climate. Ultimately, this condition occurs when the body’s temperature happens to rise above the core body temperature of 38 degrees.
The Symptoms
Heat exhaustion exhibits a number of symptoms ranging from the obvious to the obscure. One outwardly symptom it exhibits happens to be pale and sweaty skin for the person experiencing it. Moreover, it also induces nausea, vomiting, and a loss of appetite. People may feel cramps in their arms and their legs due to a loss of salts and may also experience fast yet weak pulse and breathing. Although the person going through heat exhaustion will say they’re cold, they will be hot when touched.
How to Take Care of It
Immediately take the person affected to a cool place and strip them of excessive layers of clothing. Provide them with large amount of water for rehydration and oral rehydration and isotonic solutions as well. If they do not seem to be improving, consult immediate medical help.
Heat Stroke
A heat stroke is a far more serious and dangerous situation than heat exhaustion. It occurs when the hypothalamus of a person fails to work and body temperature is not regulated. Sweating ceases and the body temperature of a person can reach increasingly alarming levels.
The Symptoms
A person suffering from a heat stroke will go through bouts of dizziness, confusion, restlessness, and even fainting. A throbbing headache is a must in this case and a lower level of response is evident. This eventually leads to fainting incidents. People suffering from heat strokes may often feel nauseous and may vomit. On the exterior, they will have highly dry and flushed skin that has no sweat. In extreme cases, there is also a risk of seizures.
How to Take Care of It
A person with symptoms of heat stroke must immediately be transferred to a cool area, their clothing must be stripped off, and steps should be taken to cool their body. The steps for cooling can be anything from sponging the body, putting a cold wet sheet on it, placing it in a cool shower, or spraying it with cold water. Ultimately, if the condition does not improve, medical help must be sought.