FirstMed Consulting Blog

During the summer, the temperature is usually increased and many people can suffer from heat – related illnesses. The illness has the potential to be life – threatening and the very young and elderly are at greater risk of being ill from the heat.

Heat cramps is one type of heat related illness – it usually results from someone doing an activity during the high intensity of the heat outside. The person who is suffering from heat exhaustion usually feels extremely tired and exhausted. The muscles in their stomach (medical term: abdomen) or legs usually seize up and cause pain.

Heat exhaustion is another type of heat – related illness. It also can occur when a person is doing work or an activity in a hot atmosphere. It usually results in a humid atmosphere – or if the person is not sweating very much. This might be due to the wearing of too many clothes. The problem is if you do not sweat as much, your body cannot cool down. Furthermore, this also causes the body to lose so much water – that the blood pressure drops of that person. The dropping of blood pressure is extremely dangerous, as we need a certain amount of blood pressure to keep our organs being healthily perfused with oxygen. If there is a drop in blood pressure – our organs might not get as much oxygen as needed. This is extremely important, as you will become ill.

If the person is suffering from heat exhaustion he can appear to be pale, and extremely moist. He will also be quite dizzy (as the blood pressure is low) and other signs of this will also including nausea, vomiting and a headache.

Heat stroke is another type of heat – related illness. However this is extremely life – threatening and should be dealt with immediately. Why heat stroke is life – threatening is that the body cannot control body temperature anymore. Usually, when somebody is healthy – the body is maintained at a constant temperature. This is important because the brain works at its optimum temperature when the body is at the right temperature. Any overheating, and the brain will not function as properly and can cause brain damage – which will have serious, detrimental effects on the body.

The person with heat stroke can feel extremely hot, have levels of consciousness, red skin, rapid weak pulse and very shallow breathing (the body’s response to try and cool the body down.) If somebody is losing consciousness – then you must dial the emergency number immediately.