Whether you are playing beach volleyball or power walking, exerting yourself when the temperature and humidity are high can raise your core temperature to dangerous levels. Be careful: Fun in the sun can take a dangerous or even deadly turn.
Heat-Related Illness
If humidity is too high, sweat doesn’t evaporate, pushing your body temp higher. If you become dehydrated, your body runs out of fluid to produce sweat.
“To cool itself, the body sends more blood to the skin, leaving less for your muscles, and increases your heart rate,” Cody B. Clinton, DO, a sports medicine physician at Cooper University Health Care says. “If you can’t find a way to rehydrate and bring your core temperature down quickly, heat-related illness can develop.”
Depending on how high your core temperature gets and how quickly you rehydrate, the result can range from mild discomfort to a life-threatening condition.
Here is a list of heat-related illnesses in order of severity.
- Heat cramps:These painful muscle contractions usually occur with exercise, but your body temperature does not need to be elevated to experience them.
- Heat exhaustion:Your body temp can go as high as 104° F. You may experience nausea, vomiting, weakness, headache, fainting, sweating, and cold, clammy skin. Heat exhaustion can escalate to heat stroke without prompt treatment.
- Heat stroke:This is a life-threatening emergency, and it’s important to call 911 immediately. With heat stroke, body temperature rises above 104° F and skin may become dry from lack of sweat. You may experience confusion, irritability, elevated heart rate, fainting, nausea, vomiting, and vision problems. You may even lose consciousness. Without prompt attention, you could experience brain damage, organ failure, or even death.
Know the Warning Signs
The warning signs include muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, weakness, fatigue, headache, excessive sweating, dizziness or lightheadedness, confusion or irritability, increased heart rate, and/or vision problems. If you experience any of these symptoms, you need to lower your body temp and rehydrate as soon as possible.
How to Cool Down Quickly
If you experience symptoms of heat-related illness from exercise or other activity, stop what you are doing and move to a cool, preferably air-conditioned, space. Drink water or sports drinks to rehydrate. To lower your core temperature, you can also place cool, wet towels, or ice packs on your neck and forehead and under your arms.
“If these actions don’t help reduce your body temperature within 20 minutes, it’s time to seek professional medical care,” Dr. Clinton says. “And if you experience signs of heat stroke, you must get medical attention immediately, even if your core temperature is below 104° F.”
Tips to Avoid Heat-Related Illness
The best way to deal with heat-related illness is to avoid it by taking precautions. Here are some tips to keep you cool:
- Pay attention to weather forecasts and heat alerts.Be sure you know what the weather will be like for the entire time you will be active.
- Watch the heat index.Temperature and humidity in combination determine the heat index – and your risk of heat-related illness. For instance, if the temperature is 84° F but the relative humidity is 75%, the heat index -the temperature your body experiences – is 92° F. That’s above the recommended threshold of 90° F for exercising outdoors.
- Make a gradual transition into heat.If you are used to exercising indoors or in cool weather, don’t do your entire workout the first day you bring it outside. Increase the time and intensity as your body adapts to the heat.
- Be realistic.If you’re just getting into shape or if you’re new to exercise, you need to be extra cautious when working out in the heat. Your body may not be able to bear the strain of a new activity and the heat simultaneously.
- Drink plenty of fluids.Your body’s natural cooling system – sweating – depends on your hydration level. Be sure to replace fluids regularly. If you wait until you are thirsty, it may be too late.
- Don’t drink alcohol. That cold beer or frozen margarita may feel good going down, but it will actually make you lose more fluid.
- Dress appropriately.Wearing lightweight, loose-fitting clothing helps sweat evaporate quicker. Avoid dark colors that can absorb heat. Wear a light-colored, wide-brimmed hat if your activity allows.
- Time your activity.Exercise in the morning or evening when the sun is lower in the sky and it’s likely to be cooler. Avoid the midday sun. No matter the time, try to exercise in the shade.
- Try aquatics.Water-based exercises – like swimming or water aerobics – can be are great for your health, while keeping your core temp down.
- Wear sunscreen.Sunburn impedes your body’s ability to cool itself and increases the risk of skin cancer.
- Take it inside.If you’re concerned about exercising outdoors because of the heat, move your workout indoors. Try exercising at a gym, mall walking, or climbing stairs in an air-conditioned building.
- Understand your medical risks.Some medical conditions or medications can increase your risk of heat-related illness. Be sure to talk to your doctor about precautions you might need to take.
For many of us, the warm weather months are fleeting, and we want to make the most of them. Taking a few simple precautions can help you safely enjoy your time in the fresh air. Cooler weather will be here before you know it!
Source: Cooper University Health Care
