Lesson 6: HEAT ILLNESS
HEAT ILLNESS DEFINED
There are basically three main types of heat illness: heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke.
HEAT CRAMPS are painful muscle contractions associated with heavy exercise in a warm or hot environment. These strong, painful muscle contractions occur in wither the stomach muscles or the large muscles on the back of the thigh. The specific cause of heat cramps is debatable: most experts agree that heat cramps are likely to occur when exercising in hot weather. But while some experts attribute heat cramps to dehydration and poor physical condition in addition to the heat, other experts claim heat cramps are caused by a lack of water and salt. These two theories are so similar that, in regards to treatment and first aid, there is no difference.
HEAT EXHAUSTION is a mild to moderate heat illness, and can occur very suddenly, especially after vigorous exercise in hot weather. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is in an excessively warm environment and there is an inadequate intake of fluids into the body. Heat exhaustion can evolve into heatstroke if ignored.
HEATSTROKE is the most serious form of heat illness, and can be fatal if emergency medical attention is not sought immediately. Heatstroke is an advanced form of heat exhaustion. In heatstroke, the body’s mechanism of controlling body temperature fails, and the body’s temperature rises uncontrollably.
Where are when does heat illness occur?
Heat illness can occur whenever and wherever the environment you’re in is excessively hot. There is no “official” temperature at which heat illness is most likely. Rather, a combination of factors contribute to an individual’s risk for heat illness. These factors are:
- Your activity level when outdoors. For instance, a 30-year-old man who is in the middle of a 10-mile run is at a greater risk for heat illness than a 30-year-old man doing Yoga on his front lawn.
- Your fluid intake. Using our example above, the odds of heat illness in our two men may be equal, or even reversed, depending on their fluid intake. Imagine our runner is taking frequent, regular breaks to cool down and drink some Gatorade. He’s is good shape, and by keeping his body well-hydrated, he’s greatly reducing his risk of heat illness. On the other hand, our Yoga man, while in good shape, has been doing his exercises for some time now and hasn’t stopped once to take a drink of anything. He’s expending energy, heating up, and losing fluid through sweat, and isn’t replacing those fluids. In this scenario, our Yoga man would be at greater risk for heat illness.
- Your age. Very young children (less than a year old) have trouble regulating their body temperature, and extreme care should be taken in exposing these kids to any sort of temperature extreme for a prolonged period of time. Increasing age is also a factor in heat illness. The bodies of older adults, like young children, have trouble regulating their body temperature. Let’s compare two runners: our man from above at 30 years old, in good shape, staying well-hydrated, and taking frequent breaks. Now imagine the same man, in the same situation, at 60 years old. Who is more at risk for heat illness?
- Obesity. Excess fat inhibits heat loss from the body.
- Cardiovascular disease. People with disease that causes a decrease in circulation are less able to release heat from the body.
- Alcohol use. In addition to impairing your judgement regarding how hot you are, and when it’s time to head to a cooler environment, alcohol increases the effects of heat on your body, and causes dehydration. This is especially true with beer.
- Certain medications. Many medications can increase the effects of heat and sun on your body. Check the labels on all of your medications for a warning regarding exposure to sun and heat.
