In the hot summer months, the number of heat stroke cases often skyrockets. This is due to several contributing factors, such as heat, dehydration and/or overexertion. The fact of the matter is that many people simply discount the danger posed by heat stroke; in reality it is a serious medical emergency that can cause death if left untreated. Ideally, heat stroke will be prevented through good hydration and body temperature management rather than necessitating treatment. Of course, this is not always possible for a variety of reasons. In the cases where heat stroke occurs, the speed in which adequate treatment is rendered is critical in preventing death or permanent injury.
Causes
Clearly, heat stroke is caused by excessive amounts of heat. It is in reality a form of hyperthermia, which is defined as abnormally high body temperature that is accompanied by physical and neurological symptoms. Of the known forms of hyperthermia, heat stroke is the most severe, and it truly can be a killer if ignored or otherwise untreated.
The human body is designed to function at an optimum temperature of 98.6 degrees, and it has built-in climate control features to ensure that it maintains its optimum temperature. To prevent overheating, we either sweat or disperse the body heat produced by our metabolism by radiating it through our skin. However, in cases where we are dehydrated to the extent that we are unable to sweat, subjected to extremely high heat or humidity, or overexert ourselves, our body temperature can climb uncontrollably to as high as 106 degrees.
Symptoms
If you are in a situation in which you are overheated, it is imperative that you remain diligently aware of the symptoms of heat exhaustion. These symptoms include nausea and/or vomiting, unusual tiredness or weakness, headaches and dizziness, and muscle cramps and aches. Of course, due to the nature of heat stroke, some people will develop the condition suddenly and with almost no warning. The symptoms of heat stroke include high body temperature accompanied by lack of sweat and flushing or reddening of the skin, fast pulse and/or difficulty breathing, hallucinations, disorientations, agitation, seizure, coma, and potentially, death.
Treatment
The standard treatment for heatstroke is to cool the victim off. If the body temperature is not stabilized, heat stroke can be fatal. Some of the best ways to rapidly lower a heat stroke victim's body temperature include dousing them with cool water (a hose works great), fanning them, removing their clothing and/or applying cool compresses or ice packs to the groin and armpits. If you can, monitor the person's temperature. Call 911 and get professional medical help as quickly as possible.
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