Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke when Exercising – Symptoms, Treatment and Precaution

The heat is on………….

May and June are usually the hottest months in Singapore. Humidity and heat can really dampen one’s outdoor activity but with enough precautions, enjoy your outing!

This blog’s posting has been reduced somewhat while I concentrate more on cycling these days. It is enjoyable to cycle but after a few encounters with heat exhaustion and ultimately the beginnings of  heat stroke, this article is as much to share information and also as a reminder for myself.

Heat exhaustion comes about when your core body temperature exceeds 37 degrees celsius.

Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Heavy sweating with cold, clammy skin
• Continuous thirst
• Muscle aches and cramps
• Confusion, anxiety or agitation
• Slow or weak heartbeats
• Fainting

If heat exhaustion continues without treatment, heat stroke follows. Core body temperature could reach above 40 degrees celsius. Extreme heat stroke is a medical emergency. Get treatment and help immediately.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

• Headache
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Hot, dry and clammy skin
• Breathless with rapid heart rate
• Reduced sweating
• Confusion and delirium
• Convulsions
• unconsciousness

What to do when you encounter these symptoms? Treatment for Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke 

• Drink that isotonic drink, followed by water if you have them
• Find shelter or a shady area immediately
• Remove your hat or helmet and gloves
• Remove socks and shoes also if possible
• If wearing knee guards, elbow bandage, etc remove them immediately
• If wearing loose, long sleeve shirts, roll sleeve till elbow to provide better ventilation
• If nearby a toilet, wash face, neck, arms and legs with water
• Pour water over your head to cool down
• If you have a towel, handkerchief or bandanna, soak with water and put on face, neck or head
• If nearby toilets with showers, get wet now!
• If having stomach cramp with extreme thirst, avoid cold water especially from water cooler as this may induce phlegm and instigate vomiting. If no choice, just use tap water
• If symptoms continues, get help! Or call friends or family to pick you up. If alone, get help from people nearby. Call or flag a cab (useful for foldable bikes or bikes with quick release wheels)
• Once home, get into the shower immediately, then drink liquid continuously, get some quick digestible, energy filling food and rest!
• For heat stroke especially, very important to seek treatment immediately. Worst case scenario, call an ambulance! If a person is lying down or unconscious, remove hat or helmet and elevate feet. Cool down by placing wet towel on head, neck, armpits and groin

Those treatment suggestion comes from personal experience. We all have our ebb and flow in energy level. Know your strength and weaknesses. Build stamina by slowly increasing the distance over time. Those taking medicines like diuretics, antihistamines, sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, some medications for heart and blood pressure medications, anti-depression medications are more prone to heat exhaustion.

Additional, bring along sweets or lozenges for that quick sugar rush to counter that dizziness. Medicated oil can help to treat nausea and relieve muscle cramps. Even if you are jogging or cycling nearby your home, always good to bring your handphone, a few dollars and cents for venting machine, bus or cab fare, your IC, atm or credit card for emergency money. You never know when you may need them.

While the temperature is climbing and humidity is cloaking the air, take care while walking, running or cycling outdoors.

How to Avoid Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke When Hiking, Jogging or Cycling

• Exercise very early or late – before 10am or after 6pm
• Wear light coloured, light weight and fast drying clothes so sweat evaporate fast – avoid cotton
• Bring water and an isotonic drink along
• Research and plan your route – find out locations of water points and toilet – when to stop and turn back
• Find out the weather forecast for that day
• For those wearing baseball hats or caps, such hats have little ventilation, trap heat and worsen heat exhaustion. Remove them from time to time to air your head
• Trust your gut instinct – if something don’t feel right, listen! Either stop, turn back or change plan immediately

Cycling at Punggol Road

If you face that situation, on your own, feels like the distance home is so so far away….. Think of your family, friends or whatever keeps you going. Break down the distance to home in stages.

Think of one landmark on the route, example, that toilet around the next bend. March on and when you reach it, think of the next goal – maybe that food court at Changi Village. Next goal and the next one. So on and so on. Always remember to sip water continuously along the way. Stop if you must, take that 5 minutes break at a bus stop. For those who cycle, push the bike to conserve energy uphill if necessary.

When cycling, I do find that flat terrain use up more energy than undulating slopes. Or maybe it is just personal preference and fitness level. I would rather cycle along the slopes of Yio Chu Kang and Mandai Road than the Coastal Road and ECP. Part of the reason – there is no need to cycle downhill so there is time for recovery. So if you have a tendency for heat exhaustion like me, choose a route that best fit you.

So take care everyone while outdoors. Prevention is always better than cure. Be safe.

Relates Link
Understanding Heat-Related Illness — Symptoms
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
Heat Exhaustion
Understanding Heat Stroke
Heat Stroke
Medications and Summertime Heat

Travel – Adapting to a different climate

Image via Wikipedia

Coming from a warmer climate to a much colder climate takes some getting use to. I really, really love winter since it is so much different from the tropics where I come from. Having gone through unexpected sickness and incidence while on the road, I want to write about precautions, medications and some of the danger signs that one should be watching out for.

Medications to bring along

• Vicks – works wonders for soothing that unexpected cold and also great to relieve stomach ache.
• Panadol – for headache and as a general painkiller.
• Antacid & Gastric pills – I am very prone to stomach upset and have a doctors’ prescription for gastric pains. Make sure you bring along your medications if you suffer from any illness and there is a doctor’s prescription else it may be confisticated at customs.
• Axe oil. This is medicated oil you put on your temple for countering that giddiness and nausea. You may have your version of it in your country.

Mountainous region

If visiting mountainous regions, don’t be in a hurry to climb that highest mountain on the first day of arrival. Give your body time to rest from the long flight and adjust to local weather condition. The same applies if you are coming from a colder climate to a warmer climate. Remember, without precautions heat stroke can also kill.

Heat Stroke or Heat Exhaustion

I had heat exhaustion in Auckland and nearly collapse upon arrival at the hostel. Recognise the symptoms - sweating profusely, feeling clammy, trembling body, shaky legs – go to the shower now! Don’t stand, just sit or squat down on the floor with the water flowing over you and let your body cool down gradually.

Hypothermia

The opposite of that is hypothermia – where you body heat is gone and you can no longer shiver to generate heat. An internal inflammation can also cause you to feel so cold that not even two thick blankets can warm you up. I had another incident of that nature when I went hiking alone in the Malborough Sounds, New Zealand. Warm up immediately!  Get a warm drink now. Call for help if you don’t feel any better.

Clothes

Get clothes fitting the weather in that country you travel. For winter time, don’t ever, ever get materials made from cotton for your basic layers, caps or gloves. Cotton retain moisture and you can easily get clammy from cold sweat. Choose materials made from polypro or other sweat wicking materials for inner layers.

For caps, make sure they cover your ears and neck area as cold wind entering the ear channels can easily cause nausea and headaches. Don’t forget the gloves and make sure your jacket has hand pockets. European winters are so cold, falling minus degree celsius so warm up with a thick middle layer. It is common to have a dripping nose constantly so bring along that tissue wherever you go.

Insurance

Don’t forget to buy travel insurance before you fly. You never know what unexpected things will  happen. With travel insurance, you are at least assured of assistance in times of medical emergency.

Take the necessary precautions and you will be fine. Be safe and bon voyage!