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Medical Video: Ask the Expert: What is Heat Exhaustion?
Living in a tropical country like Indonesia, we are very familiar with the hot weather that makes it hot and uncomfortable.
What not many people know is that physical activity for too long under the heat of the sun or a high-temperature environment can cause a number of serious problems in the body, and not just overheating or burning skin - but also heat stroke.
What is heat stroke?
Heat stroke (heat shock), is a condition when your body experiences a dramatic increase in body temperature in a fast time, and you cannot cool the body.Heat strokeusually occurs when a person feels extreme heat due to exposure to heat from the sun outside the body's tolerance limits.
Heat stroke can occur without the initial conditions associated with heat or heat beforehand, such as fatigue.
What signs do someone experienceheat stroke?
Signs and symptoms heat stroke, including:
- High fever (40º C) or more
- Sweating profusely
- Headaches, lightheadedness, and feeling of discomfort
- The skin is red and dry
- Slow response rate
- Sudden surge in pulse
- Changes in mental or behavioral status, such as confusion, rebellion, slurred speech
- Nauseous vomit
- Fast breathing
- Fainting, as the first sign in advanced adults
What must be done to help the affected personheat stroke?
When you have heat stroke, try to cool your body temperature, in any way, for example:
- Bopong into an air-conditioned room
- Soak in cold water or splash with cold water
- Spray with water from the hose
- Compress ice throughout the body, especially the neck, armpits and groin
- Body cipation
- Wet blankets or sheets with cold water and cover the whole body
- Drink cold, non-caffeine and non-alcoholic water, if body conditions allow it
If the person is still experiencing symptoms of heat stroke after the cooling process of the body, continue to repeat the effort until the body temperature drops.
Sometimes CPR is needed
That must be considered, if the victim loses consciousness when experiencing a heat stroke, open the airway and check vital signs - including breathing and pulse. Perform artificial breathing actions followed by CPR, if needed.
CPR for adult and children over 1 year:
- Place the heel of one of your hands in the center of the chest between the nipple lines. You can also place your free hand on it.
- Press down about 5 centimeters. Be sure not to press the ribs.
- Perform 30 times chest compression, at a rate of 100 times compression per minute or more. Allow the chest to rise completely between the pressures.
- Check whether the person has started breathing.
CPR for children under 1 year:
- Place two fingers on the breastbone.
- Press down 1-2 centimeters deep. Be sure not to press the tip of the sternum.
- Perform 30 times chest compression, at a rate of 100 times compression per minute or more. Allow the chest to rise completely between the pressures.
- Check whether the child has started breathing.
Note: The instructions above are not intended as a substitute for official CPR training that you can get through the Indonesian Red Cross or other official health service institutions. Also note that after getting CPR, the victim must immediately get further medical assistance to check for complications of organ damage.
If the victim is still not breathing, do two short artificial breaths and continue with 30 times chest compression. Repeat this cycle until the person starts breathing or medical help arrives.
How to prevent itheat stroke (heat shock)?
When the weather is high, it's better to stay in an air-conditioned room. If you are required to do activities outside the home, always check the weather. You can avoid being attacked heat stroke with the tips below:
- Wear thin, bright, and loose clothes. Use a hat with a wide cover
- Apply sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 or more
- Increase body fluids. Try to drink more water or fruit than usual to prevent dehydration. Because all diseases associated with hot weather can be caused by a lack of salt in the body, you can also work around this by consuming electrolyte-rich sports drinks during extreme sun days and stuffy air.
- Wise when doing outdoor activities. If possible, cancel all outdoor activities when the weather is extreme. Change the activity schedule in the morning or after sunset.
If you suspect yourself or someone around you has a heat stroke, immediately contact medical assistance (118). If heat stroke is left without serious treatment, this condition can be life threatening by causing damage to the brain and other vital organs.
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