It’s too hot! “Too hot to death” is not a joke. How to prevent it?

Review expert: Wu Xinsheng, deputy chief physician of gastroenterology department

This summer is so hot! It’s only early June, but many parts of the country have already turned on the “furnace mode”, with temperatures in some areas even exceeding 40℃!

In the past, people always urged people to "stay at home unless necessary", but now people "don't want to go out even if necessary" and even want to carry the air conditioner on their backs all day long.

Source: Weibo screenshot @First Scene

With the arrival of the heat wave, many temperature-related news have frequently become hot searches. Recently, the term "heat stroke" has often come into our view. Patients with heat stroke will not only faint and become comatose, but also suffer from multiple organ failure and even death.

Heat stroke = heat stroke?

"It's so hot" is a phrase we often say. We thought it was a joke, but we didn't expect it to come true. What exactly is heat stroke? In fact, heat stroke is what we often call severe heat stroke .

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Everyone is familiar with heatstroke, which is a very common acute disease. It refers to the situation where under high temperature and high humidity conditions, the body's temperature regulation function is impaired, heat production is greater than heat dissipation, which leads to a continuous increase in body temperature, accompanied by a large loss of water and electrolytes in the body.

In a high temperature environment, if you experience symptoms such as dizziness, headache, cold sweat, loss of appetite, etc., it may be the precursor to heatstroke ; if your body temperature rises, you vomit, feel dizzy, etc., the heatstroke will worsen and turn into mild heatstroke ; if you continue to be exposed to high temperatures, the condition will develop into severe heatstroke .

Source: CCTV News Screenshot

There are three types of severe heatstroke: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke .

The three types of symptoms vary. For example, heat cramps are mainly caused by excessive sweating, which leads to cramps in the limbs. Heat exhaustion is mainly caused by dizziness, fatigue, and mental depression, but the body temperature does not exceed 40°C. Heat stroke is caused by high fever that lasts above 40°C. Among them, heat stroke is the most serious type of heat stroke, which progresses rapidly and has a high mortality rate.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

So how do we determine whether it is ordinary heatstroke or heat stroke?

There are three main symptoms of heat stroke. The first is an increase in body temperature , which continues to rise in a short period of time and exceeds 40°C, which may be accompanied by burning skin. The second is abnormalities of the central nervous system , such as delirium, convulsions, coma, hallucinations, etc. The third is other discomfort symptoms , such as shortness of breath, muscle weakness and spasms, etc.

The greatest harm of heat stroke is not just the increase in body temperature, but the multiple organ dysfunction caused by high temperature (such as rhabdomyolysis, myocardial damage, and stomach and liver damage).

In the hot summer, it is not advisable to stay outdoors for a long time.

Source: pixabay

Under normal circumstances, human body temperature will be maintained within a certain range and will not fluctuate much. However, after suffering from heat stroke, the body's temperature regulation ability becomes unbalanced and the body maintains a temperature above 40°C for a long time. At this time, the cell water and electrolytes of the organs and tissues in the body are lost in large quantities, and cell stability is destroyed, or even lysed and died. When the organs are unable to perform their normal functions, it will affect the body's circulation and eventually cause organ failure.

In addition, because heat stroke progresses very rapidly and is often accompanied by multiple organ damage, clinical treatment for heat stroke is very limited. After treatment, some patients still have some damage to their central nervous system and cannot recover to their previous level, mainly manifested by weakened memory, poor concentration, and language cognitive disorders.

Susceptible population and prevention measures for heat stroke

Heat stroke is so harmful, so how can we prevent it in our daily lives? Who is more likely to get heat stroke?

The causes of heat stroke are related to high temperature and high humidity environment and high-intensity physical activities, so it can be divided into two types, namely exertional heat stroke and classic heat stroke (also known as non-exertional heat stroke).

Exertional heat stroke

The corresponding population is those who are often exposed to high temperature conditions and perform high-intensity activities, such as construction workers, grassroots personnel, military police, couriers, etc. Due to long-term intense physical activities, they lose water and energy quickly, and the heat production and heat dissipation are easily unbalanced, which leads to heat stroke.

Source: pixabay

The population corresponding to classic heat stroke is people who are exposed to high temperature conditions but do not engage in high-intensity activities. This type of people has weaker constitutions and is also prone to heat stroke, such as the elderly, infants and young children, and people with underlying diseases.

Therefore, if you want to prevent heat stroke, you must keep the environment ventilated and cool, drink water in time, get enough rest, and seek medical attention in time if you have any discomfort.

So, when we encounter someone outside with symptoms of heat stroke, how can we help?

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First, quickly transfer the patient to a cool place, remove excess clothing to dissipate heat, and if conditions permit, use a fan to dissipate heat, wipe the body with wet wipes, or apply a wet towel to the armpits, neck, thighs and other parts.

If the patient remains conscious, give him/her water; if the patient vomits, immediately turn the patient over so that he/she lies on his/her side to keep his/her airway open; if the patient has involuntary convulsions, control them in time to prevent him/her from hurting himself/herself; then, contact a nearby hospital as soon as possible and send the patient to the hospital for further treatment.

When sweating during exercise, you should replenish fluids in time

Source: pixabay

In short, no matter what symptoms of heatstroke occur, we must not be careless. After all, once heatstroke develops into the stage of heat stroke, it will be very serious.

The most effective way to avoid heat stroke is to take precautions , so when you go out in summer, remember to take precautions! If necessary, you can carry a water bottle with you and replenish water in time~