Many of us are in hot summer sunshine, but others are at risk of causing heat -related complications such as Sunstroke and Heatstroke. In this blog post, we’ll explain how the heat affects the body and look at some reasons why you can get a bad risk in hot weather.
How to cope with hot weather
Our bodies work to maintain a consistent internal state, and cells and organs work in optimal situations. To keep the core temperature to about 37.5 ° C, our bodies regularly change blood flow. When it is hot, more blood gets closer to the skin and we lose heat. This should work harder to help the blood move closer to the skin.
This heat loss is helpful to sweat. Sweat or wet skin can increase the amount of calories lost in the body. 10 timesTherefore, reduce the tension of the heart. But we must keep moisture well for sweat.
Heat -related diseases are a side effect of difficulties in heat.
Additional tasks of heart and lungs combined with body fluid and salt loss can cause a variety of problems.
As a result of extra extended blood vessels, blood pressure is low, resulting in a combination of fluid loss/dehydration caused by sweat, which can lead to serious problems, causing dizziness and stunning or heat stroke. As dehydration worsens, people can experience the heat cramps of muscles due to the loss of an important electrolyte that maintains muscle function.
These symptoms and diseases or nausea, headaches, sweat and fatigue are called heat fatigue.
Most people who are healthy will not have these symptoms if they drink a lot of water and find shade and cooler places. But the elderly, young children, pregnant women, and people with basic heart or abolition are more dangerous. That’s why our advice focuses on recalling people to keep an eye on vulnerable friends, relatives and neighbors.
If someone shows signs of heat fatigue, it should be cooled. NHS advises it There are 4 things you can do If you cool someone, you will feel better in 30 minutes.
- Move them to a cool place
- Lying down to make your feet slightly higher
- Drink enough water. Sports or re -drinking drinks are fine
- Cool your skin -sprinkle with cool water or sponge and fan fan. The cold pack around the armpits and necks is also good.
Live with them until they get better and people call as follows:
- After 30 minutes, it will not improve more
- It’s still hot and dry
- It’s too hot, but it doesn’t sweat
- There is a temperature in which the temperature is increased to 40 ° C
- Fast, shortness of breath, confusing, consciousness suitable, or losing consciousness.
These are medical emergencies and signs of dying heat stroke.
It’s not about heat stroke
It is important to understand that high temperatures can worsen the existing health and sometimes get serious results.
People who include and not limited to those in cardiovascular, respiratory, kidney problems, or certain drugs can generally be vulnerable to heat, but also experience the deterioration of fundamental diseases during the heat wave. This occurs because the body puts an additional burden on the organs that are already under pressure when the body tries to cool itself. For example, people with heart disease can be more difficult to maintain proper blood flow, leading to chest pain or heart attack. Similarly, people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or asthma can be difficult to breathe while reducing oxygen intake while burning in the airway, combining heat, pollution and dehydration.
Patients with kidney disease or diabetes increase the risk of acute kidney damage when dehydrated in hot weather. The kidneys are less effective in controlling fluids.
Special attention when using certain drugs
In general, such as drugs used to treat diuretics, beta blockers, or mental health problems (such as anti -psychotic drugs and general antidepressants), they can change their ability to cool themselves or maintain fluids. It is important to understand how the drug affects the body’s reaction to the heat, and to rewrite the guidelines or to consult a doctor or pharmacist.
In this way, hot weather can not only show the risk of heat -related diseases, but also act to worsen the existing health, and often overlook, but some people can suffer more than others in the heat.
Keep moisture, keep the house cool, and keep it cool
Maintaining sign language is very important -drink a large amount of fluid and avoid excessive alcohol. Water, low fat milk, tea or coffee replace and keep the lost water while sweating.
When the outside is hot, there is an easy step to reduce heat at home. If the outside air is improved (especially at night) to improve air circulation (especially at night) and the temperature is less than 35 ° C, if you use an electric fan, do not keep your body directly to prevent dehydration. Turn off unnecessary lighting and electric equipment and reduce the internal heat by considering cooking in the cooler part of the day. It can be helpful to move to the cool area of the house for activities such as sleep.
In the daytime, it may be cooler to go to a park where there is a mountain wind and a public building with air conditioning, such as libraries, community centers or worship places, rather than staying in an overheated house.
Of course, most of this advice is common sense, but we know that heat -related mortality rate is generated as we can see in the year. Thermal mortality monitoring reportAnd it is expected to increase in the future. Health impact of climate change report. that British climate change risk assessment It is important for all of us to protect ourselves as well as our families and neighbors, as we identify the dangers of health, welfare and productivity at high temperatures as one of the greatest priorities of our country’s actions.
