Overview of Extreme Heat Illness Heatstroke, Exhaustion, Cramps and Rash
Sweating is your body’s way for cooling itself. During extremely hot weather coupled with high humidity, sweating may not be enough to cool your body. In this condition, its temperature could rapidly rise to dangerously high levels that results in you experiencing a heat illness.
When the air is humid (air with high water content), your body’s natural sweat evaporation cooling system markedly decreases. This decrease causes a corresponding reduction in your ability to release your body systems natural production of heat. And a very high body temperature can damage your brain or other vital organs.
Most heat illnesses occur from exercising or staying in a hot, humid environment for too long. Heat-related illnesses include:
- Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness in which body temperature may rise above 106° F in minutes.
- Heat exhaustion is an illness that precedes heatstroke
- Heat cramps are your muscles pains or spasms that occur during heavy exercise
- Heat rash is a result of skin irritation from excessive sweating
Some common sense approaches to help prevent heat illness’ rapid rise in body temperature are:
- drink plenty fluids
- replenish salt and minerals via your diet
- limit time in the sun’s heat or hot environments
- wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing
- wear a wide-brimmed hat to shade and keep your head cool
- pace yourself.
Other conditions that can limit your body’s ability to regulate temperature include old age, babies age 0-4, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn and alcohol.
The risk for heat-related illness may increase with the use of the following drugs:
- psychotropics affecting psychic function, behavior, or experience such as haloperidol or chlorpromazine
- Parkinson’s disease medications ~ can inhibit perspiration
- tranquilizers such as phenothiazines, butyrophenones, and thiozanthenes
- diuretics (water pills) ~ affect fluid balance in the body
Filed under: Skin, Sweat, Temperature
