Sunstroke: How to act?
Excessive high temperatures and humidity increase the probability of suffering a sunstroke, because of the dehydration of the organisation. It results fundamental to take into account some prevention standards such as to maintain a good hydration and diet, to use loose and light garments and not to carry out exercise in the hours of the day with higher temperatures, among others.
Act fast key for avoid serious consequences
As we indicated in the post Sunstroke: symptoms and consequences, is significant to know them in order to be able to react on time. Remember that the sunstroke is produced for a rise of the body temperature because of the disability of our body to delete the internal heat that it generates. When increasing the environmental temperature, decreases the difference of temperature between our body (37ºC) and the exterior, affecting the skills of deleting the heat. Produced consequences can be serious –even, to cause the death–, which is why to know the most effective and easy processing of applying will help to alleviate its effects in the health.
When recognising the initial symptoms (headache, sensation of dizziness, nauseas or vomits), the appropriate thing is to attend to a health centre. Nonetheless, if it does not result possible or until they arrive services of emergency, it is recommended to follow following advice:
- Shelter in an area of shade or with air conditioning/fan.
- Place the slightly high head and to drink abundant liquid as a cold water or drinks isotónicas (through small sips).
- Withdraw some clothes layer for transpirar better, deleting garments very adjusted or insulators.
- Envelop the body with blankets of cooling and to apply cold water or ice bags in the face, the neck, groins and armpits.
- Immerse the body or to give a shower in cold water to go down the body temperature. Let alone fast is done, smaller will be the risk of death.
- Cool for evaporation: in the event of not being able to to bathe or to give a shower in cold water –for example, if us find in the street–, it can vaporize very cold water on the skin and to fan the warm air. This system promotes the evaporation of heat to cutaneous level.
If the person is found unconscious, suits knock down her sideways, with legs bent and not never manage him liquids. In this case, they would be owed to initiate basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation manoeuvres (RCP) and to tell immediately to the 112 to attend the emergency.
In the centre of emergency, the medical staff can apply to the fluid patient intravenous, medication to prevent the collapse and oxygen in order to to maintain vital signs. Avoid the heat exposure is the best way of counteracting effects of the sunstroke in the earlier phases, but it arrives a point in the situation only can tackle her the practitioner of emergencies.