Heat Stroke Definition, Reason, Symptoms, Treatment & Prevention
Heat stroke is an emergency condition or emergency, and the most serious form of heat stroke. Heat stroke can cause damage to important organs such as internal organs and the brain. Heat stroke can also cause death.
Heat stroke occurs when the body temperature reaches a temperature of more than 40 degrees Celsius and there are complications involving the body’s nervous system due to the high temperature. Heat stroke usually affects middle-aged people over 50 years old, but it can also affect young sports athletes.
Symptom
Symptoms of heat stroke include a high temperature above 40 degrees Celsius and other symptoms as below:
- faint
- throbbing headache
- headache
- less sweating
- red, hot, and dry skin
- nausea and vomiting
- weak or cramped muscles
- a fast heartbeat that can be weak or strong
- rapid, shallow breathing
- changes in behavior such as confusion, disorientation
- seizures
- loss of consciousness or coma
Reason
Heat stroke is caused by prolonged and high-temperature heat stroke. Usually, this condition is also accompanied by dehydration. So that the body’s control system for temperature or temperature is lost or fails.
Here are some risk factors that can cause heat stroke :
- Age. Heat stroke is more common in parents over 65 years, and children under 4 years.
- environmental conditions and lifestyle. Heat stroke often occurs in environments with poor airflow. This condition is also easier to occur in people who rarely drink water and have chronic diseases. Alcoholics or drinking alcohol in large quantities are also more susceptible to heat stroke.
- Health condition. Several health conditions can cause fever – such as heart, lung, kidney disease, obesity, low body weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, mental health, and blood cell disorders.
- Drugs. Drugs such as antihistamines, diuretics, sedatives, anticonvulsants, high blood pressure and heart medications, antidepressants and antipsychotics, cocaine and methamphetamine increase the risk of heat stroke.
Heat stroke can cause progressive attacks of heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat exhaustion. Heat stroke is the most serious and final type of heat stroke. However, this attack can occur without other, lighter heat attacks.
Diagnosis
Doctors can suspect heat stroke attacks from the patient’s temperature and also other symptoms. Investigations may be needed to look for health conditions and medications that may also cause heat stroke.
Treatment
Heat stroke conditions include emergency conditions. If people around you experience it, you should immediately seek medical help because it can be fatal. Try to lower the temperature to 38.3 to 38.9 degrees Celsius.
Some emergency treatments at home that can be done include:
- Move the patient to an environment where the air is cool and closed
- get rid of unimportant clothes
- provide air to the patient by using a fan while wetting the patient’s skin with water from a sponge or hose
- Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck and back
- immersing the patient in a bath of cool water or taking him under the shower
If this condition occurs in young athletes who are exercising, they can be given ice cube baths to cool the body. Avoid using ice cubes in elderly patients, young people, people with chronic diseases, or heat stroke sufferers without excessive exercise.
Prevention
Heat stroke attacks can be prevented in the following ways:
- being in a cool environment when the weather is hot
- have good air circulation in the house
- wear clothes that are not too thick, brightly colored, not tight
- use sunscreen
- drink more water to avoid dehydration
- when exercising, consume 700 milliliters of water two hours before exercising and an additional 250 milliliters before exercising. While exercising, you can drink 250 milliliters every 20 minutes even if you don’t feel thirsty.