It's not that I don't like summer, but I don't find it nice to chill in the sun and spend a lot of time in crowded places if it's too hot. It is also that when our body has difficulties to eliminate excess heat, we could suffer a heat stroke.
I wanted to dedicate an entry to this topic, because by allowing ourselves a rest and worry-free time, we may relax dangerously in important things as well. Exposure of children to excessive heat can make them sick, the most extreme consequence would be death; This can not only happen when the little one is locked inside the car, as we had here, because in the open air and during very hot hours or days a heat stroke can also happen.
Children (especially babies and very young children) - along with the elderly, operators who work in full sun, heart or diabetic patients, obese and alcoholics - are a very vulnerable group. Why does this happen? it happens that they accumulate more heat because their body surface (related to weight) is higher than that of adults, on the other hand they have less capacity to hydrate themselves, since at an early age they depend on adults preparing the water they need to go to play, and they do not usually bring money to buy a bottle of water if they run out, and they lack skills to resort to solutions such as entering a bar to ask for tap water.
To the extent that heat stroke involves the bodily response to the exaggerated loss of water and minerals through heat, it turns out to be a serious thermal alteration
Recognize a heat stroke
A person who is suffering from it is not going to tell us 'help me because I think I have a heat stroke' since the affected ones are usually not aware, it may be until it is too late. High fever (over 38 º), very hot skin (may also be red and dry), headache, decay / dizziness; or if it has been suffering from seizures, vomiting, and rapid pulse while weak.
Eye with the Unexpected irritability of a child on a very hot day, it can be a warning sign, especially if they are very small and cannot tell us that their head hurts.
Any change in the behavior or in the habitual manifestations of the person who suffers a heat stroke must be assessed. Prevention is important (which we will talk about below), but also detection, it is not so difficult considering that we are all aware of the ambient temperature, and of the risk that certain individuals may suffer (children, outdoor workers, the elderly, etc).
Sweat is an ally: it helps us to eliminate heat from the organism, and warns others in case of a blow and heat, because just before the sweating occurs it is very abundant. Of course: do not expect sweat from the moment the heat stroke manifests, and the intervention must be immediate, because the body of the affected person no longer has a way of self-regulation, it does not always occur but in many people the sweating disappears.
Preventing is easy.
Avoiding sun exposure in the hottest hours - approximately 12 to 16/17 - (as we do to protect ourselves from solar radiation), also avoiding outdoor activities at that time. We should also try to avoid crowded places on very hot days: we cannot risk the health of our children in this way.
Hydration is key, so bring fluids (especially water) always in sufficient quantities so that everyone can drink frequently; and check the water container that your child carries when he goes out with the bike, or to play outside (unless the houses are nearby). Do not admit that I tell you 'no need' (from 9 or 10 years old they sometimes rely too much on their possibilities or their abilities, but they are not yet great).
Here we gave general advice to avoid the general consequences of extreme heat, it should also be remembered that it is better to wear light clothes that do not fit, and that are light colors; Put on a cap.
NEVER leave your children alone in a parked and closed vehicle!
How do I act if I think my son is suffering a heat stroke?
The affected must first be taken to a shaded place and if possible cooler, depending on the possibilities: inside a room or under some trees, we will use fan, fan ... We will try to remove tight clothing, or unbutton shirts, pants, etc. … It is also necessary to lower the body temperature: wet cloths, a cold bath or shower, yes: never ice water or buckets (so as not to constrict blood vessels, which would prevent heat from leaving the body).
The cloths must be wet again to apply when they have been heated, and if we have put the person in a bathtub, noticing that the water is heated, we will renew it. When it stabilizes we can offer water, and if you accept it, we will try to restore the contribution of minerals through a pharmacy solution.
If, when the affected organism is cooled, we observe that it convulses, or is confused; or if an hour has passed and does not improve, seek medical attention. If you vomit put it in a lateral safety position, so that you do not inhale the vomit.
Hopefully these tips will help you prevent heat stroke, it is always better to prevent it from happening. Is very common sense, and know how to use it.
Images | Salvatore Barbera, David Lytle, Richard Leeming On Peques and More | How should we protect ourselves against high temperatures?
