- Who is most at risk of heat stroke
- How to avoid heat stroke
- Difference between sunstroke and shutdown
Heat stroke is an uncontrolled increase in body temperature due to prolonged exposure to a hot, dry environment, causing dehydration and symptoms such as fever, redness of the skin, vomiting and diarrhea.
What you should do in these cases is to go quickly to the hospital or call for medical help by calling 192, and in the meantime:
- Take the person to a ventilated and shady place, if possible with a fan or air conditioning; Place the person lying or sitting; Apply cold compresses on the body, but avoid using cold water; Unscrew tight clothing and remove clothing that is very hot; Offer plenty of liquids to drink, avoiding alcoholic beverages, coffee and cola drinks; Monitor the person's state of consciousness, asking for their name, age, current day of the week, for example.
If the person has severe vomiting or if he loses consciousness, he should lie on his left side to prevent choking if he vomits, and call an ambulance or take him to the hospital.
See all the signs that help you identify a heat stroke.
Who is most at risk of heat stroke
Although it can happen to anyone who has been exposed for a long time to the sun or high temperatures, heat stroke is usually more frequent in babies or the elderly, as they have greater difficulty in controlling body temperature.
In addition, people who live in homes without air conditioning or a fan, as well as people with chronic illnesses or who abuse alcohol are also among the most at risk groups.
How to avoid heat stroke
The best way to avoid sunstroke is to avoid very hot places and not be exposed to the sun, however, if you need to go out on the street, you must take some precautions such as:
- Wear light clothing and cotton, or other natural material; Apply sunscreen with a protective factor of 30 or higher; Drink about 2 liters of water per day; Avoid physical exercise, such as running or playing football during the hottest hours.
It is important to remember that children and the elderly are more sensitive to heat and are more likely to have heat stroke and dehydration, needing extra care.
Check out more simple and important tips to cool off in the summer.
Difference between sunstroke and shutdown
Intermission is similar to heat stroke, but it presents more severe symptoms of elevated body temperature, which can lead to death.
When intermittent, the body temperature is above 40ºC and the victim has weak breathing and should be taken to the hospital to start treatment as soon as possible. See what the main dangers of heat stroke in Heat stroke can cause severe burns.
