Beware of "heat emergency" during outdoor activities in summer

        Global warming has caused the temperature to soar, especially in summer. If you act under the scorching sun for a long time, it is likely to cause a "heat emergency". This issue of "health column" introduces the common classification and symptoms of "heat emergencies" and how to prevent them.

        Pay attention to high temperature, high humidity and airtight environment

        The human body will use "radiation", "conduction", "convection", and "evaporation" to maintain the constant body temperature. However, when the external temperature is higher than the body temperature, "radiation", "conduction" and "convection" will fail. If coupled with a high humidity environment, the efficiency of "evaporation" heat dissipation through sweating will also be reduced, which may lead to the situation commonly known as "heatstroke".

        Many people misunderstand the definition of heatstroke. In fact, in emergency medicine, "heatstroke" is only one type of heat emergency. In addition, there are "hot water swelling", "heat spasm", "heat syncope" and "heat exhaustion". Let's understand the differences between them.

        Five symptoms of fever emergency

        1. Hot water swelling

        The elderly who spend a long time in the car, train or plane, exposed to the overheated environment, or the young who have just returned from the cold environment, may have edema in their hands or feet due to skin vasodilation and postural tissue fluid stagnation within a few days, but the symptoms usually disappear naturally within a few days, and a few may be delayed to 6 weeks. It is recommended to help the tissue fluid reflux by raising their legs and wearing elastic socks, Do not take diuretics or other unknown drugs by yourself.

        2. Heat cramp

        Those who engage in strenuous exercise in a humid and hot environment are likely to lose water and electrolytes due to a lot of sweating, causing strong cramps in the legs (mostly calves), shoulders or abdominal muscles, which may even last for 15 minutes. At this time, the patient should be moved to a cool place and given salt water or sports drink. If you have calf spasm, you can grasp the toe of the cramped foot, tilt your toes up and push your heels down as much as possible, and straighten your knees at the same time. If the cramp fails to stop, it needs to be transferred to the hospital for treatment.

        3. Heat syncope

        Those who are prone to standing for a long time in a hot environment are mainly caused by the retention of venous blood in the lower limbs, resulting in a relative lack of fluid and postural hypotension. As long as the patient is moved to a cool place to lie flat and replenish water, the discomfort will soon disappear after a short rest.

        4. Heat exhaustion

        Working in high temperature or sweating a lot due to poor air circulation, resulting in dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache, sweating of skin, cold and damp, fast and weak pulse, postural hypotension, fainting, visual acuity, etc. at this time, most patients have normal or slightly higher body temperature (not higher than 40 ° C), and are conscious. It is recommended to move to a cool place and lie down first, keep the suction duct unblocked and cool down, and send to a doctor as soon as possible.

        5. Heatstroke

        Heatstroke will be caused when the body's temperature regulation fails and sweat evaporation cannot effectively dissipate heat in a high temperature, high humidity or airtight environment. Patients generally have high body temperature (higher than 40.5 ° C), poor sweating and neurological symptoms (including restlessness, confusion, convulsions, coma, etc.). Early rapid cooling is the most critical factor to determine the prognosis of heatstroke patients. It is advisable to move the patients to a cool place first, keep the ventilation cool, keep the suction duct unblocked, and send them to hospital as soon as possible.

        Prevention is better than treatment. In hot summer, you should avoid exercising or exercising in the sun for too long, and working in a closed environment. If you need to work, you must always supplement water, maintain air circulation as much as possible, and wear loose, breathable and light colored clothes to avoid absorbing ultraviolet rays.

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