Heat Exhaustion Awareness
Heat Exhaustion Awareness
Heat exhaustion is a condition that occurs as a result of your body overheating. While it’s a severe condition that is far to common in the Florida heat, there are precautions you can take in order to combat heat exhaustion. Today, we share the causes and symptoms of heat exhaustion and ways to prevent and treat it.
Causes
Heat exhaustion often occurs in individuals exposed to high temperatures that experience extreme water depletion or salt depletion. This happens when your body is unable to cool itself off due to extreme outside factors (intense heat, humidity, etc.)
Symptoms
Heat exhaustion results in one or many of the following symptoms.
- Confusion
- Dizziness
- Fatigue
- Fainting
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Pale skin
- Profuse sweating
- Rapid heartbeat
Prevention
The following are a few of the many precautions you can take to avoid heat exhaustion.
- Wear sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher.
- Take breaks from the heat. (Go inside, cool off in the shade, etc.)
- Drink plenty of water or electrolyte-rich fluids.
- Limit or avoid alcohol and caffeine consumption when in the heat.
Treatment
If you or someone around you experiences heat exhaustion, it is imperative to immediately stop all activity and get out of the heat. Once that person is an air conditioned room or at least in the shade, he or she should do as many of the following suggestions as possible:
- Drink plenty of water or sports drinks.
- Remove restricting or unneeded clothing.
- Take a cool shower or bath.
Without proper treatment, heat exhaustion can potentially lead to a heat stroke, which has extreme effects on many vital organs including the brain. It is critical to treat heat exhaustion quickly and properly to avoid further damage to your body.
When spending long days in the sun or hours partaking in strenuous activity, look for signs of heat exhaustion in yourself and those around you. Knowing your body and its limitations is the first step in avoiding heat exhaustion.
If you’ve found this informative, share this post to educate others on heat exhaustion awareness!