How to protect yourself from heat stroke, who is at greater risk of overheating?
Photo: Mikhail FROLOV.
How to protect yourself from heat stroke, who is at greater risk of overheating? Alexey Umryukhin, doctor of medical sciences and head of the Department of Normal Physiology at Sechenov University, spoke about this with Komsomolskaya Pravda.
How to distinguish heatstroke from sunstroke
In case of sunstroke, the entire body overheats, and in case of sunstroke, the impact of direct sunlight falls mainly on the head and nape of the neck.
But the consequences are very similar: blood pressure drops, consciousness is disturbed.
The main signs of heat stroke:
– weakness,
– nausea,
– feeling of stickiness on the skin, especially on the palms,
– “spots”, flashing spots, darkening of the eyes,
– alteration of the sense of balance, coordination of movements.
When the body overheats, blood vessels in the skin dilate to release heat from the surface. Therefore, redness on the skin and a pattern of blood vessels may appear. Or the skin may become “marbled,” which often happens when it is overheated in a bathhouse rather than outdoors. One way or another, such visible reactions on the skin are more individual signs of overheating than universal rules, our expert points out.
WHAT TO DO IF IT IS HOT?
1. First of all, you need to normalize your blood pressure. You need to sit, or better yet, lie down on a bench (or on the ground) in the shade. If possible, place your feet higher than your head. This will make it easier for blood to flow to the heart and brain.
2. Cool the body. You can wet yourself with water from a bottle: both your head and your entire body. Move to the shade or a cool place.
3. When it becomes easier, drink water; This is necessary to restore fluid balance. You can drink tea or coffee, but water is best.
OR MAYBE EAT LESS IN THE HEAT?
If we are in the shade and do not overheat, then eating in reasonable quantities (without gluttony) will not disrupt the body’s thermoregulation. We can even “give off more heat” through evaporation than we receive from food.
It is necessary to eat a nutritious and balanced diet, so the heat will be easier to bear, reminds the doctor.
IF YOU ARE FRABILE – IMMEDIATELY IN THE SHADOW…
Let’s say you’re lucky and you’re relaxing in the sea or near a pond. In this case, it is not recommended to be in the sun from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; It is enough to sunbathe for 30 to 60 minutes a day (depending on skin type). The rest of the time it is better to be in the shade. Do you feel like you are overheating? – Immediately get into the water to cool off.
The risks of overheating are greater in older people and in case of exacerbation of chronic diseases. Also be alert if you are under emotional stress, prolonged stress, or fatigue.
SHORTER WORKING DAYS!
Rospotrebnadzor recommends shortening the working day in the following cases:
– if the temperature without air conditioning reaches 28.5 °C, it is recommended to shorten the working day by one hour;
– when raised to 29 °C – for 2 hours,
– and if the room has been heated to 30.5 °C – for 4 hours.
! Rospotrebnadzor also reminds that working outdoors at temperatures above 32.5 °C is considered a dangerous and extreme load.
