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Managing Heat-Related Illnesses: Understanding Humidity and Prevention Tips

Learn about humidity's impact on heat illnesses, such as heat cramps, exhaustion, and stroke. Discover prevention tips and effects of dehydration on sports performance.

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Managing Heat-Related Illnesses: Understanding Humidity and Prevention Tips

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  1. Heat Related Illnesses

  2. Humidity: • Humidity is the amount of moisture that is in the air. • Why is this important when it comes to heat illness? • Because the rate at which perspiration evaporates is strongly influenced by humidity. • Sweat becomes an insulator when it cannot evaporate.

  3. Relative humidity: • Relative humidity is a measurement of the moisture in the air based on the amount of water in the air and the maximum amount that could be in the air. • This is used to calculate the heat index! • The heat index is the measure of how hot it actually feels when the relative humidity is combined with the air temperature.

  4. Heat Index Chart:

  5. Psychrometer: • A Psychrometer is an instrument used to measure relative humidity • This combines the air temperature with the humidity to come up with the relative humidity.

  6. Heat Cramps: • Heat cramps are muscle spasms resulting from dehydration. • What causes heat cramps? • Dehydration or an imbalance of water/electrolytes in the body. • Signs & symptoms: muscle cramps, salty sweat, fatigue. • Treatment: stretch/massage the area and hydrate

  7. Heat Exhaustion: • Heat exhaustion is a condition in which the body becomes dehydrated from water/electrolyte loss (imbalance). • Signs & symptoms: fatigue, dizziness, profuse sweating, headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramping • Treatment: put in shade, elevate legs, rehydrate, remove excessive clothing

  8. Heat Stroke: • Heat stroke is caused by an elevation in body temperature such that the body’s internal organs begin to shut down because of excessive heat. • Signs & symptoms: dizziness, NO SWEATING, confusion, unconsciousness, seizures, decreased blood pressure • Treatment: call 911, immerse in ice bath, cool down!

  9. Preventing Heat Illness: • 1. weigh yourself before and after practice. Loss of 3% of body weight should be noted. • 2. if you lose more than 3% body weight then check for signs of heat exhaustion. If you lose 7% body weight you should be sent to see a doctor. • 3. check body fat %. Athletes with low body fat % are more susceptible to heat illness. • 4. check the weather or take psychrometer reading before practice/ games. • 5. use heat index to modify practices/games. Look out for symptoms of heat illness.

  10. Preventing Heat Illness: • 6. acclimate to weather. It could take up to 2 weeks to fully acclimate. • 7. be aware of clothing/uniform choices based on season, weather, and area. • 8. change sweat soaked shirts throughout practice. • 9. avoid caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages. • 10. replenish every pound lost with 20 oz of fluid after practice/games. • 11.thirst is not an indicator for dehydration. By the time that you are thirsty, you are already 2% dehydrated!

  11. Preventing Heat Illness: • 12. Drink fluids before exercise…20oz 2-3 hours before, and 10oz 10-20 minutes before. • 13. Always have water available. Drink 10oz of fluid about every 15 minutes of exercise. • 14. Cold water empties the stomach faster than warm water • 15. Monitor the color and volume of urine. Light colored urine is normal, dark colored urine means dehydration. (vitamins etc can alter this) • 16. Someone with a fever is more susceptible to heat illness because the body’s core temperature is already increased.

  12. Preventing Heat Illness: • 17. drink plenty of fluids before, during and after practice to replenish fluid loss. • 18. some sports drinks such as gatorade can provide an advantage to water because they contain electrolytes (salt, potassium, chloride) as well. • 19. salt can be added to water to help hydrate. • 20. well balanced diets can prevent heat illness

  13. Effect on Performance: • How does dehydration effect sports performance? • As dehydration increases, there is a gradual reduction in physical and mental performance. • There is an increase in heart rate and body temperature, and an increased perception of how hard the exercise feels, especially when exercising in the heat.

  14. Effects on Performance: • Studies show that a loss of fluid equal to 2% of body mass is sufficient enough to cause a detectable decrease in performance. • A loss of 2% bodyweight causes an increase in perceived effort and can reduce performance by 10-20%. • A fluid loss exceeding 3-5% bodyweight reduces aerobic exercise performance noticeably and impairs reaction time, judgement, concentration and decision making - vital elements in all sports.

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