How To Treat Heat Stress

Heat Exhaustion And Heatstroke Treatment

If you or someone else has heat exhaustion, treat symptoms in the following ways.

• Get out of the heat quickly and into a cool place, or at least shade.
• Lie down and elevate your legs to get blood flowing to your heart.
• Take off any tight or extra clothing.
• Apply cool towels to your skin or take a cool bath. This will help regulate and lower your internal body temperature.
• Drink fluids, such as water or a sports drink. Do not guzzle them, but take sips. Do not drink fluids with caffeine or alcohol.

• Symptoms dont improve or they still have a fever of 102°F after 30 minutes of initial treatment.
• The person goes into shock, faints, or has seizures.
• The person is not breathing. You also should begin CPR right away to try and revive them.

Top 10 Warning Signs Of Heat Stroke

Symptoms of heat stress can range from mild heat rash or sunburn to severe heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

How To Treat A Heat

Taking steps to prevent heat stress, such as regular, consistent watering, aerating the soil, and letting the grass grow higher between mowing will all go a long way to maintaining your beautiful lawn. You can also take similar steps to try and heal areas of your yard that are suffering from heat stress:

Avoid compacting the soil. Excessive foot traffic and heavy equipment on your lawn can cause over-compacted soil, preventing air from reaching the root system. Aerating your lawn can fix the problem.

Water the yard thoroughly but not daily. Aim for about 1/3 inch of water every 2-3 days. Early morning is the best time to water.

In severe conditions, allow the grass to become dormant unless it is a newly planted lawn. The grass will shut down until the weather cools. Continue to irrigate the lawn weekly. Newly planted lawns should not be allowed to dry up. Be sure to regularly irrigate your lawn.

If you need help caring for your heat-stressed lawn in the Fargo-Moorhead area, or want a quote on any of our expert lawn care services contact us today.

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What Is Heat Stress

Dogs don’t sweat like us humans, instead they release heat by panting and also by sweating through their paw pads and nose. If they are unable cool themselves enough their internal body temperature begins to rise. Hyperthermia is the term used to describe this elevation in body temperature.

There are three different types of hyperthermia – heat stress, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. While it common for people to use these terms interchangeably, the conditions are different, varying in severity.

Heat stress is the less severe heat related illness. At this stage, dogs will show an increase in thirst and panting. As the condition worsens, it will progress to heat exhaustion then, finally, to heat stroke. Visit our Heat Stroke in Dogs Guide for a more in depth look at the differences between these illnesses.

All heat related illness require immediate attention. Heat stroke, the most severe of heat related illnesses, is a very serious condition that can lead to death even with intensive care.

How To Protect Workers

The most effective way to reduce the risk of heat stress is to eliminate the source of exposure. If that’s not possible, there are other risk controls to use. When choosing risk controls, start by asking yourself the questions in the following steps, which are listed in order of effectiveness.

Administrative controls

Changing work practices and work policies, awareness tools, and training can limit the risk of heat stress. Some questions to consider:

• Can warning signs be posted in the work area?
• Can cool-down rooms be provided?
• Can workers be acclimated to heat?
• Can water be provided?

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How Is Heat Stroke And Heat Exhaustion Treated

Heat stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be treated immediately by doctors. Call 111 for an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency department immediately if someone you care for has symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke. There are things you can do to help the person while waiting for an ambulance or on the way to the nearest emergency department. These include to:

• move them to a cool place and lay them down
• get them to drink plenty of water or an isotonic drink
• stay with them at all times
• remove as much clothing as possible
• put them in a cool bath or shower if possible
• cool their skin by wetting with cool water or fan them, or apply cold packs around their armpits or neck
• put them in the recovery position if they lose consciousness. Read more about the recovery position.

Management Of Heatstroke And Heat Exhaustion

JAMES L. GLAZER, M.D., Maine Medical Center, Portland, Maine

Am Fam Physician. 2005 Jun 1 71:2133-2140.

Patient information: See related handout on heatstroke, written by the author of this article.

• References

Each year, millions of people are exposed to the dangers of extreme heat. Outdoor laborers compose the largest percentage of patients with heat-related illnesses.1 Athletes, children, and the elderly also are frequently affected, with elderly persons being particularly vulnerable to heatstroke.1,2 Results of epidemiologic studies2,3 have indicated that the incidence of heatstroke in urban areas of the United States during very warm periods is approximately 20 cases per 100,000 people, and that heatstroke accounts for at least 240 deaths in the United States annually. Heat-related illnesses are largely preventable, and physicians can do a great deal to ensure the safety of their patients during the hot summer months. Patients may present to their primary care physician with heat exhaustion, and chronic diseases may contribute to heat-related illness. If a patient is suffering from heat-stroke, rapid diagnosis and effective cooling are crucial, because the condition triggers a series of metabolic events that may progress to irreversible injury or death.

Cooling by evaporation is the most effective method in the field under normal conditions patients with heatstroke should initially be treated with evaporative cooling.

Strength of Recommendations

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Protect Children From Heat Exhaustion

The long summer days are filled with activities for kids. From camps to organized sports, kids are outside a lot. Even spending days at the local pool can increase a childs risk for heat illness. Children are at higher risk for heat exhaustion than adults because their bodies have less surface area compared to their weight. This makes it more difficult for heat to leave their skin. The best thing you can do to prevent heat exhaustion in children is to proactively make sure they do not become dehydrated.

First and foremost, make sure they drink early and often. Cold water is the best option. When your child goes to play, send them to their activities fully hydrated. While they are playing, see that they take periodic breaks to drink something, even if they claim they arent thirsty. An appropriate size drink for a child is about five ounces if a child weighs 88 pounds.

Signs of dehydration in children are similar to those of adults. Look for tiredness, low energy and dry lips. If a child says he or she is thirsty, they are most likely already dehydrated. Get them to sip water or a sports drink immediately. If your child becomes heat exhausted, immediately stop their play, bring them into a cool or shady area, and treat them with the same tips listed earlier used for adults.

How Can Heat Exhaustion Be Prevented

Understanding one’s environment is perhaps the most important step in preventing heat-related illness. If possible, strenuous activities should not be performed in excessively hot or humid environments. However, people often have to work in the heat of the day, or indoors in hot situations and need to make the effort to protect their bodies. These can include frequent breaks taken in a cooler areas, adequate fluid intake, and slowing the pace of work to decrease heat generated by the body.

A person at risk for heat exhaustion should watch their urine output to monitor their hydration status .If the body is dehydrated, the kidneys will hold onto water, and make concentrated, strong smelling urine. If enough water is present, the urine will turn clear.

Acclimating to conditions allows the body to perform in situations that would otherwise be difficult. The body will make physiologic changes allowing it to cool more efficiently, if it has gradual exposure to hot conditions. Moving from a cool to very hot environment quickly increases the risk of developing heat related-illness symptoms.

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Treatment For Heat Syncope And Heat Exhaustion

• Move the person to a cool, shaded area
• Remove tight clothing
• Give fluids, if the athlete is conscious
• Apply active cooling measures, such as a fan or ice towels, if the athlete’s core temperature is elevated
• Refer to a physician to assess the needs of fluid/electrolyte replacement and further medical attention, especially if the athlete is nauseated and/or vomiting

Use Fans & Increase Coop Ventilation

Natural airflow can help keep the ambient temperatures lower in the coop. Make sure there is plenty of air flow and ventilation in the coop. Prop doors and windows open. If you have doors on the next boxes, you may even want to prop those open too. While ventilation is very important, you also need to keep predator safety in mind. You might need to use a metal grate to block the windows or doors, if you didnt have one built in already. At a minimum, make sure that your coop has enough ventilation to allow the hot air to escape and bring in any breezes.

If youre able to run electricity to your yard, you can set up a fan for the chickens in their enclosure or the coop. A fan will be your flocks favorite addition to the coop, allowing them to get a precious breeze under their fluffy down. Theyll love it even more if you place frozen gallon jugs of water in front of it to really blow cool air around.

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Risk Factors For Heat Stroke

Older adults whose homes lack air conditioning or proper ventilation are most likely to be affected by heat stroke. Other people who are at high risk of heat stroke include those in any age group who do not drink enough fluids, who have chronic ailments or who drink too much alcohol.

The heat index is strongly linked to heat stroke risk. The heat index measures how hot it feels when relative humidity and temperature are calculated together. Remember, a humidity level of sixty percent or higher hinders the evaporation of sweat, which diminishes your bodys ability to cool off.

When the heat index reaches 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the risk of heat illness increases substantially. This is why it is so important to take note of the daily heat index and to note that being in full summer sun increases the reported index by up to fifteen degrees.

Other risk factors for heat stroke include:

1. Age

Again, children under 4 and adults over 65 are slower to adjust to heat than other people.

2. Health issues

Many health conditions increase your risk of heat stroke, including:

• Being obese or underweight

• Illegal drugs like cocaine and methamphetamine

How Can I Prevent Heat Stroke And Heat Exhaustion

There are things you can do to help prevent heat stroke and heat exhaustion, especially during hot weather or exercise. These include:

• drink plenty of fluids
• avoid extreme or intense exercise in hot weather
• avoid hot sun during the middle of the day
• take cool baths or showers
• wear loose clothing
• keep indoor plants to help cool the air.

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Heat Wave In The Garden: How To Identify And Prevent Heat Stress In Plants

When a heat wave hits, plants may show the impact.

• Most plants grow best in temperature ranges 59-86°F.
• When temperatures above 90°F are sustained for long periods, plant growth is slowed, and some plants begin to show signs of stress.
• Above 104°F, many plants will survive but will show different signs of heat stress dependent on plant type, maturity of the plant, and factors that often come with high temperatures, such as drought or wind.
• Extreme air and soil temperatures slow down chemical activity and growth in plants.

What Is The Difference Between Heat Exhaustion And Heat Stroke

There is no set line that distinguishes heat exhaustion from heat stroke. If a person is suffering from a heat-related illness such as heat exhaustion, and changes in mental status occur, he or she should be considered to be suffering from heat stroke. This includes confusion, lethargy, seizure, or coma. This is a medical emergency, and if treatment is delayed mortality can be greater than 50%. While victims of heat exhaustion sweat profusely, people suffering from heat stroke stop sweating and have dry skin. This is a warning sign of impending heat stroke.

• headache, and
• nausea and vomiting.

As dehydration increases from the loss of body water, lightheadedness may occur and fainting may occur, especially if the affected individual stands up quickly .The person also may have a low-grade fever.

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What Is Pneumonia In Sheep

Pneumonia in Sheep and Goats

Pneumonia is an infection of the lung tissue with multiple causes. It is an important medical problem of sheep and goats of all ages. In younger animals, various bacteria, viruses and parasites of the upper and lower respiratory tract are often involved in the development of pneumonia.

Dont Confuse Cannabis Heat Stress And Calcium Deficiency

Its easy to confuse the signs of cannabis heat burn and the symptoms of calcium deficiency. Calcium-deficient leaves also have brown spots and may become dry and brittle at the tips and along the edges, but they also twist in every direction.

Of course, there are situations when plants have both these issues at the same time. Calcium deficiency makes the plants more vulnerable to heat stress, and heat stress makes the calcium-deficient leaves dry out faster.

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Can Heat Exhaustion And Heatstroke Be Prevented Or Avoided

There are many things you can do to prevent heat-related illnesses. Babies, children, and elderly people are more sensitive to heat and require extra attention. You also are at greater risk if you are ill or obese, or have heart disease. People who work outside or in a hot setting also are at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.

Dont go outside when the temperature and heat index are high. If possible, stay indoors in air-conditioned areas. If you must go outside, take the following precautions.

• Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing.
• Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a hat or using an umbrella.
• Use sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or higher.
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Dehydration and lack of salt contribute to heat-related illnesses. Some sports drinks can help replenish the salt in your body lost through sweating. Drink water or other fluids every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you dont feel thirsty. If your urine is clear, you are probably drinking enough fluids. Dark-colored urine is a sign that youre dehydrated.
• Avoid or limit drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol.
• Schedule outdoor activities for cooler times of the day before 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m.
• Take frequent breaks from the heat and outdoor activities.
• Do not stay or leave a child in your car when it is hot outside. Even if you open the windows, the intense heat can be extremely dangerous.

Risk Factors For Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is strongly related to the heat index, which is a measurement of how hot you feel when the effects of relative humidity and air temperature are combined. A relative humidity of 60% or more hampers sweat evaporation, which hinders your body’s ability to cool itself.

The risk of heat-related illness dramatically increases when the heat index climbs to 90 degrees or more. So it’s important — especially during heat waves — to pay attention to the reported heat index, and also to remember that the heat index is even higher when you are standing in full sunshine.

Continued

If you live in an urban area, you may be especially prone to develop heat exhaustion during a prolonged heat wave, particularly if there are stagnant atmospheric conditions and poor air quality. In what is known as the “heat island effect,” asphalt and concrete store heat during the day and only gradually release it at night, resulting in higher nighttime temperatures.

Other risk factors associated with heat-related illness include:

Check with your doctor to see if your health conditions and medications are likely to affect your ability to cope with extreme heat and humidity.

Continued

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