“How should I prevent heat strokes?”
We were vacationing in Mexico and my daughter had a heat stroke because she was dehydrated. All is fine now and she was taken care of, but what can I do to prevent this from happening in the future? (Other than drinking water)
3 Answers
Change the lifestyle: eat right, maintain your blood pressure, your cholesterol level, your sugar level, and exercise.
Heat stroke is a very serious and potentially deadly medical condition. Once you suffer from heat stroke, another is more likely. Be sure your daughter avoids medications which can make heat stroke more likely when she is exposed to high ambient temperatures, such as antihistamines and some of the psychotropic medications. In addition, do not exercise in the heat, as the calories you burn elevate your internal core temperatures; in addition to high ambient temperatures, this can contribute to heat stroke.
Good luck.
Good luck.
Adequate hydration is the primary prevention for heat illness. Other factors include access to adequate shade and other cooling factors (breeze, fan, ice, etc.), work or activity breaks to prevent over-exertion, and ideally a mechanism to unload accumulated heat burden over the day--cool shower, pool, misting station, etc. Review any medications for their impact on temperature control. Be particularly careful with the young, the old, the debilitated, and the obese. General benefit is also seen with sunscreens/hats or other protection for the skin directly.
Donald W. Alves, MD, MS, FACEP
Donald W. Alves, MD, MS, FACEP
