Saint Anthony’s Emergency Services Tips for Surviving the Summer Heat
With the summer in full swing, spending time by the pool and other outdoor activities are common practice. To make sure your warm weather enjoyment doesn't turn into dehydration, sunburn, heat exhaustion or worse, the health care professionals from Saint Anthony’s Emergency Department recommend the following tips to keep you safe and healthy while you're working, playing or vacationing in a hot climate.
Drink plenty of water. When heat and humidity are high, you can quickly become dehydrated. By the time most of us feel thirsty, we’re already slightly dehydrated. It's especially important during warm weather to drink eight glasses of water a day.
Protect your eyes and skin. Wear sunglasses and sunscreen to protect your eyes and skin from the sun's dangerous UV rays. Sunburn abuse can lead to skin cancer. So wear protective clothing and sunscreen with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. For sunburn relief, aloe vera gel or cool white vinegar can help ease the pain.
Beat the heat. As temperatures rise, your body works overtime to stay cool. Any outdoor activity in high heat is physically stressful and can lead to heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. Wear light, loose fitting clothing and don't overdo it.
Balance activity with rest. Sunshine and warm weather offer a variety of activity. But don't push yourself beyond your physical limits or let overexertion squash your energy. Schedule time to rest, relax and take a nap when necessary.
Don't sweat it. One fact of heat is sweat. Even walking to your car in extreme heat can cause those little salty beads to pop out under your arms and on your face. Since sweating causes you to lose precious minerals, keep your electrolytes in balance by getting plenty of minerals from fresh fruit and vegetables.
Overcome grill overkill. Nothing says, "fire up the grill" quite like warm weather. Studies suggest that following grilled meat with antioxidants, such as vitamins C, E and carotenoids may offer protection against harmful grilling carcinogens.
Eat smart and healthy. Vacations and summer picnics can be a huge temptation to pig out. Don't fall for it. Too much junk food could destroy your summer fun. Keep your energy up by limiting sweets and fatty foods and focusing on fresh summer fruits and vegetables, whole grains and healthy lean protein.
Two extreme alignments caused by the intense summer heat are heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
“Heat exhaustion occurs with excessive loss of bodily fluids due to prolonged sweating, especially in a hot environment,” said Karen Marzluf, RN, Director of Emergency Services. “The individual is usually cool and damp to the touch and the skin may appear gray. If suffering from heat exhaustion, the individual will present with headache, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, thirst, profuse sweating and possible altered level of consciousness.”
It is best to move the patient from the hot environment to a shaded, cooler area and remove any extra clothing and loosen any clothing, which is tight or restrictive. The patient should be urged to lie down. If the patient is conscious and alert, provide suitable fluids such as tomato juice, orange juice, or other commercially available sodium balanced drinks.
“Heat stroke occurs when the body is subjected to more heat than the body can possibly handle,” said Karen. “Heat stroke is a serious medical condition and may lead to death without immediate emergency medical attention. In heat stroke, the body temperature rises too quickly resulting in the death of body tissue. A person will present with chills, nausea, vomiting, throbbing in the head, disorientation and a slowing of sweating. He or she may eventually become unconscious.”
For more information on Saint Anthony’s Emergency Services, please call 618/474-6260.
Saint Anthony's Health Center is a 229-bed health care organization with dual campuses-Saint Anthony’s Hospital and Saint Clare’s Hospital- encompassing specialized inpatient and outpatient services. With over 150 physicians on its Medical Staff, Saint Anthony's Health Center offers a free physician referral service for the community: 463-1234.