How Does a Heat Wave Affect the Human Body?
The human body has an internal temperature of around 37oC, and it does NOT like it when that very specific figure wobbles in either direction. Changes of as little as a single degree can cause your body’s delicate biochemistry to glitch in unpleasant ways..
You’d think that prolonged exposure to heat and humidity would have straightforward effects (you’ll read more about heat exhaustion and heat stroke down below), but sometimes the resulting malfunctions can take some odd forms.
Ever had a muscle cramp on a really hot day, say, while doing some heavy lifting? There’s a good chance the temperature is to blame.
What’s happened is that you’ve sweated out a lot of water, but even if you’ve been drinking water to replace it, you’re not getting enough electrolytes. The resulting salt imbalance is what’s causing the cramps.
For people really not used to the heat, there’s a risk of heat edema. To avoid overheating, your body dilates your blood vessels to try radiate as much heat away from your system as possible, causing blood to pool in your ankles.
Even sweating can sometimes not go as it’s supposed to. If you develop tiny red spots on your skin, with a prickly sensation, that’s a heat rash, caused when your sweat pores become blocked.
And according to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control, if you are exposed to extreme heat for a prolonged period, you may stop sweating altogether, a step on the road to potentially fatal heat stroke.Before you get there, however, the extreme heat will do some unpleasant things to your head as well.
Signs:
As your core temperature rises further above the body’s natural 37oC sweet spot, your sweating gets heavier, your thirst becomes intense, your dizziness increases and you feel increasingly fatigued.
Your nausea may reach the point you start to vomit, and diarrhea may set in. Those muscle cramps we talked about earlier may happen more frequently, you’ll experience palpitations, and tingling or numbness of the hands or feet.
You may not feel all of these at once, but even a couple of these symptoms in either yourself or a companion should be enough to raise the alarm.
Symptoms/Heat Disorders:
Sunburn :
Skin redness and pain,
possible swelling, blisters,
fever, headaches.
First Aid:
Take a shower, using soap, to remove oils that
may block pores preventing the body from
cooling naturally. If blisters occur, apply dry,
sterile dressings and get medical attention.
Heat Cramps:
Painful spasms usually in
leg and abdominal muscles
or extremities. Heavy
sweating.
First Aid:
Move to cool or shaded place. Apply firm
pressure on cramping muscles or gentle massage
to relieve spasm. Give sips of water. If nausea
occurs, discontinue.
Heat Exhaustion:
Heavy sweating, weakness, Get victim to lie down in a cool place. Loosen
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skin cold, pale, headache
and clammy. Weak pulse.
Normal temperature
possible. Fainting,
vomiting.
First aid:
clothing. Apply cool, wet cloth. Fan or move
victim to air-conditioned place. Give sips of water
slowly and If nausea occurs, discontinue. If
vomiting occurs, seek immediate medical
attention. Or call 108 and 102 for Ambulance
Heat Stroke (Sun Stroke):
High body temperature
(106+F). Hot, dry skin.
Rapid, strong pulse.
Possible unconsciousness.
Victim will likely not
sweat.
First Aid:Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency. Call
108 and 102 for Ambulance for emergency
medical services or take the victim to a hospital
immediately. Delay can be fatal. Move victim to a
cooler environment. Try a cool bath or sponging
to reduce body temperature. Use extreme caution.
Remove clothing. Use fans and/or air
conditioners. DO NOT GIVE FLUIDS.
Do’s and Dont’s
Heat Wave conditions can result in physiological strain, which could even result in death. To
minimize the impact during the heat wave and to prevent serious ailment or death because of
heat stroke, the following measures are useful:
DO’s
- Listen to Radio, watch TV, read News paper for local weather forecast to know if a heat wave is on the way
- Drink sufficient water and as often as possible, even if not thirsty
- Wear lightweight, light-coloured, loose, and porous cotton clothes. Use protective goggles, umbrella/hat, shoes or chappals while going out in sun.
- While travelling, carry water with you.
- If you work outside, use a hat or an umbrella and also use a damp cloth on your head, neck, face and limbs.
- Use ORS, homemade drinks like lassi, torani (rice water), lemon water, buttermilk, etc. which help to re-hydrate the body.
- Recognize the signs of heat stroke, heat rash or heat cramps such as weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, sweating and seizures. If you feel faint or ill, see a doctor immediately.
- Keep animals in shade and give them plenty of water to drink.
- Keep your home cool, use curtains, shutters or sunshade and open windows at night.
- Use fans, damp clothing and take bath in cold water frequently.
- Provide cool drinking water near work place.
- Caution workers to avoid direct sunlight.
- Schedule strenuous jobs to cooler times of the day.
- Increasing the frequency and length of rest breaks for outdoor activities.
- Pregnant workers and workers with a medical condition should be given additional attention.
- Do not leave children or pets in parked vehicles.
- Avoid going out in the sun, especially between 12.00 noon and 3.00 p.m.
- Avoid wearing dark, heavy or tight clothing.
- Avoid strenuous activities when the outside temperature is high. Avoid working outside between 12 noon and 3 p.m.
- Avoid cooking during peak hours. Open doors and windows to ventilate cooking area adequately.
- Avoid alcohol, tea, coffee and carbonated soft drinks, which dehydrates the body.
- Avoid high-protein food and do not eat stale food.
HOMEOPATHIC TREATMENT AND REMEDIES
The following homoeopathic medicines can be given according to the totality of symptoms.
Heat Cramps: Belladonna, Natrum mur., Colocynth, Cuprum met. & China
Heat Exhaustion: Natrum carb., Selenium, Gelsemium & Lachesis
Sun (Heat) Stroke: Glonine, Natrum carb., Belladonna, Lachesis, Amyl nit. Q for inhalation.
Here are some useful indications:
1. Aconite: – It is the best remedy when the cause is lying with head exposed to the direct rays of sun. Patient < after sleep. There is faintness and dizziness.
2. Antimonium crud: – All symptoms seem to center around the mind and the stomach, < from the heat of sun, warm air, hot drinks, motion, and bodily exertion > rest, air, hot bath or applied heat.
3. Belladona: – Violent shooting pains in head which come and go suddenly making the patient scream. Heat about the head with cold feet. Blood shot eyes and visible throbbing of the carotids.
4. Bryonia: – Must not be forgotten in summer complaints when great thirst for large quantity of water, amelioration from rest and quiteness are present.
5. Carbo veg: – Lower vitality and great foulness of all the secretions on one side on the flatulence in the upper abdomen and constant desire to be fanned are the main symptoms.
6. Gelsemium: – Useful in sun-stroke, high temperature with drowsiness or tendency to coma, thirstlessness.
7. Glonine: – A most valuable remedy for effects of sun- stroke, great remedy for congestive headaches, hyperaemia of the brain from excess of heat.
8. Lachesis: – One of our best remedies for sun-headaches. Effects of hot weather, patient < after sleep, faintness, dizziness.
9. Lycopodium: – Flatulence or heaviness immediately after eating < towards evening, summer complaints, > un- covering and on getting cold.
10. Natrum carb.: -Chronic effects of sun- stroke; now, with return of hot weather, suffers from headache. Excellent for debility and exhaustion caused by heat of summer; for headache caused by sun, gas-light and from slightest mental exertion; chronic effects of sun-stroke like headache etc.
11. Natrum mur.: – This tissue remedy in the 6x potency proves excellent in sun-stroke and other summer complaints.
12. Nux Moschtata: – Tendency to faint, drowsiness, great dryness without thirst are the special indications of Nux Mos. In summer complaints.
