Colonel Razzaque Adil is a multiple award-winning military veteran with more than 21 years of experience in the field of Security /Risk Management, Resilience & Disaster Response operations with the Indian Army, National Security Guards and the United Nations Peace Keeping Force.
Summers in India can literally be ‘killing’. Every summer, a number of lives are lost due to heatwave-related deaths. This article looks at one of the dangerous ailments that occur during summers: Heatstroke – its cause, prevention, and cure.
An Indian Summer
An NRI friend visiting New Delhi from London for a few months recently remarked, “This time, it seems like Delhi’s winter got replaced directly by summer. Whatever happened to spring?” An astute observation, no doubt. Most parts of our nation are already experiencing unprecedently high temperatures and we seem to be heading towards another real ‘HOT Indian Summer’. So, let’s talk today about one of the common but dangerous problems that many people face in summers – Heatstroke.
What is a Heatstroke?
Heatstroke is a condition caused by the body overheating, generally as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. The body temperature may rise up to 104 F (40 C) or even higher. If untreated, heatstroke can quickly damage the affected person’s muscles, brain, heart & kidneys. Here, one must understand that Heatstroke is different from Heat Exhaustion. While the latter occurs when the body loses excessive amounts of water and salt, typically from sweating, the former is a serious medical emergency that occurs when the body is unable to control its internal temperature.
Heatstroke Symptoms
Some of the common symptoms of Heatstroke are:-
- High Body Temperature. A core body temperature of 104 F (40 C) or higher.
- Altered Mental State / Behaviour. Confusion, agitation, slurred speech, irritability, delirium, seizures, and coma.
- Alteration in Sweating Pattern. In a heatstroke brought on by hot weather, the skin feels hot and dry to the touch. In a heatstroke brought on by strenuous exercise, the skin may feel either dry or slightly moist.
- Nausea and Vomiting.
- Flushed skin.
- Rapid breathing.
- Racing heart rate.
- Headache.
Risk Factors
Certain factors increase the risk of Heatstroke. These factors include:-
- Age. At a very young age, the central nervous system is not fully developed while in adults over 65, the central nervous system begins to deteriorate, which makes the body less able to cope with changes in body temperature.
- Exertion. Strenuous physical activities such as sports.
- Certain Medications. Some medications affect the body’s ability to stay hydrated and respond to heat. These include medications that narrow blood vessels (vasoconstrictors), regulate blood pressure by blocking adrenaline (beta-blockers), rid the body of sodium and water (diuretics), or reduce psychiatric symptoms (antidepressants or antipsychotics).
- Certain Health Conditions. Certain chronic illnesses, such as heart or lung disease, might increase the risk of heatstroke. So can being obese, being sedentary, and having a history of previous heatstroke.
- Alcohol Consumption. Drinking alcohol can affect the body’s ability to regulate its temperature.
Prevention of Heat Strokes
The best way to deal with Heatstroke is to prevent it. The following steps can go a long way towards preventing Heatstroke:-
- Clothing. Wear loose-fitting, lightweight clothing. Wearing excess clothing or tight-fitting clothing prevents the body from cooling properly. Wear light-colored, loose, lightweight clothing when doing activities outside in the heat.
- Protect Against Sunburn. Sunburn affects the body’s ability to cool itself. So, prevent sunburn while being outdoors by wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses. Also, use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15.
- Never leave anyone in a parked car. This is a common cause of heat-related deaths in children. When parked in the sun, the temperature inside a car can rise by 20 degrees F (more than 11 C) in 10 minutes.
- Take It Easy During the Hottest Parts of The Day. Stay out of the sun if possible. If you need to be in a hot environment, take 10 to 20 minutes of breaks per hour of activity in the shade or an air-conditioned/cooled space. Schedule exercise or physical labor for cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or evening. Take frequent breaks when working or exercising in the heat.
- Get Acclimated. Limit time spent working or exercising in heat until conditioned to it. For those not used to it, it can take several weeks for the body to adjust to hot weather.
- Stay Hydrated. Drink two to four cups of water every hour while doing activities outside in the heat or direct sun. Avoid alcohol or caffeinated beverages if you’re doing strenuous activities.
- Bath / Showers. Take frequent baths or showers.
- Avoid Caffeine/ Alcohol. Avoid coffee and alcohol, especially beer, due to their fluid loss effect.
- Monitoring Urine color. Darker urine is a sign of dehydration. Be sure to drink enough fluids to maintain very light-colored urine.
Helping Heat Stroke Victims
When all preventive measures fail and someone still gets a heatstroke, please take the following steps to prevent criticalities:-
- Take immediate action to cool the overheated person while waiting for emergency treatment.
- Get the person into the shade or indoors.
- Remove excess clothing.
- Cool the person with whatever means available — put in a cool tub of water or a cool shower, spray with a garden hose, sponge with cool water.
- Fan air over the patient while wetting their skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
- Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
- Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water.
- If the person is young and healthy and suffered heatstroke while exercising vigorously — what’s known as exertional heat stroke — you can use an ice bath to help cool the body. However, do not use ice for older patients, young children, patients with chronic illness, or anyone whose heatstroke occurred without vigorous exercise. Doing so can be dangerous.
Conclusion
There’s an apt saying in Hindi – “जैसा देश वैसा भेस” (“Jaisa Desh Vaisa Bhes”), meaning the attire of a person should be as per the conditions of the country of residence. In most parts of the world, the traditional dresses worn by the local population or the traditional dishes eaten by them are well suited to the prevalent climatic conditions. For example, the dresses worn by people living in locations with extremely hot temperatures such as India would have a few commonalities – the dresses would generally be loose-fitting, cover most parts of the body, and include a headgear. The aim was obviously to have minimal exposure to the intense sun and also to prevent dehydration. Our modern lives and global lifestyles sometimes tend to ignore many of this traditional folk wisdom. However, we would do well to sometimes return to our roots and heed the wise counsel provided by our old practices & traditions.