How to avoid Heat Illnesses and Dehydration

1. How to avoid Heat Illnesses and Dehydration by: Steve Schultz

2. What are heat-related illnesses? • Prolonged or intense exposure to hot temperatures • under extreme or prolonged heat, blood rushes to the surface of your skin • less blood reaches your brain, muscles, and other organs • Lack of blood to these areas interferes with both your physical strength and your mental capacity, leading, in some cases, to serious danger

3. Types of Heat-related Illnesses • Dehydration • Heat Cramps • Heat Exhaustion • Heat Stroke

4. Dehydration • impairs athletic performance whenever body fluid level falls below 98% of normal • primary cause of dehydration is sweat loss • The best way to tell how dehydrated you are, is by the color of your urine • Urine Color- Clear= Hydrated, increase in darkness= more dehydrated you are

5. Noticeable thirst muscle cramps Weakness Nausea fatigue Headache decreased performance lightheaded/dizziness difficulty paying attention Other Signs of Dehydration

6. Heat Cramps • mildest forms of heat illness • muscular pains and spasms due to heavy exertion • They usually involve the abdominal muscles or the legs • Inadequate fluid intake

7. Management of Heat Cramps • Rest briefly and cool down. • Water or an electrolyte-containing sports drink. • Practice gentle, range-of-motion stretching and gentle massage of the affected muscle group. • If cramps don't go away in 1 hour, call your doctor. Ahhhhh…

8. less dangerous than heat stroke exercise heavily or work in a warm, humid place body fluids are lost through sweating Lack of blood to vital organs causes a form of shock sweat does not evaporate as it should the body is not cooled properly Heat Exhaustion

9. Cool, moist, pale, flushed or red skin Heavy sweating Headache Nausea or vomiting Dizziness and exhaustion. Body temperature will be near normal. Take out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned location. Lay them down and elevate the legs and feet slightly. Loosen or remove the person's clothing. Have the person drink cool water, not iced, or a sports drink containing electrolytes. Cool the person by spraying or sponging him or her with cool water and fanning. Monitor carefully. Heat exhaustion can quickly progress to heatstroke If fever greater than 102 F, fainting, confusion or seizures occur, dial 911 or call for emergency medical assistance Not feeling better in 30 mins contact doctor Symptoms and Management of heat exhaustion Symptoms Management

10. Heat Stroke • medical emergency • Develops after heat exhaustion • high body temperature (often it's 104°F-105°F or higher) • marked symptoms

11. Symptoms of heat Stroke • high body temperature • the absence of sweating, with hot red or flushed dry skin • rapid pulse • difficulty breathing • strange behavior • hallucinations • confusion • seizure • coma • Decreased urination or blood in urine or stool • It can occur suddenly, without any symptoms of heat exhaustion

12. Treatment of heat Stroke • Move to a cool place and rest. • Call 911 or your local emergency medical service. Heat stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency and needs to be treated by a physician. • Remove excess clothing and drench skin with cool water; fan skin. • Place ice bags on the armpits and groin areas. • Cool fluids if alert and able to drink –only if person has a clear mental state

13. Heat Index