Heatstroke!!

[coltle6920]

For those of you who think you know where this is going I must tell you this thread is not about a new swimming event at the summer Olympics.

Up until about the year 2000 (I was 49yrs old) I enjoyed playing golf in shorts and a muscle t-shirt.I always walked and carried my bag.I enjoyed the heat and the exercise.

My favorite course was somewhat hilly and everything was going along fine.When we finished I went in the clubhouse and got a cool drink of water.That's when I starting feeling faint.I went outside and laid down under a big shady tree and started sweating badly.The Starter came over to check me out and then disappeared for a few minutes.When he came back he had some kosher pickle slices and told me to eat them.After a few minutes my head stopped spinning and I was able to get up and go home.

Bottom line is that I was never so scared in my life.I haven't touched my golf clubs since then.I tell people that a bad knee is why I stopped.

These 90 degree days are wearing me down.My lawn is only about 2000 sq.ft. but requires a 5-10min. break between emptying the bag and then continuing.

I don't know much of anything about heatstroke.If you get it once are you more susceptible the rest of your life? I do like a few cold beers when working outside.Once I'm back in the house I'll have a beer or two with dinner but it's water the rest of the time.

I guess we all need a kick in the pants to wake us up and show we're not invincible.You wont need to tell me a second time!

 

[Dashriprock]

Heatstroke is a very serious condition and can be lethal. Your case sounds more like heat exhaustion.

I got heat exhaustion when I was 12, major dehydration and the headspins plus profuse sweating as you describe as the overworked system began overcompensating.

Those pickles were loaded with sodium -- electrolytes your body was desperately in need of.

I'm 50 now and my internal thermostat has never been right since that day all those years ago. When I was still a competitive cyclist I would start hydrating days before an event and have to take electrolyte supplements all day during the event and keep the water going in regularly. It was the only way to not replicate that dreaded experience of my youth. It is a very frightening feeling, as you know!

I like a cold beer while doing yard work on a hot day as well, but I match it ounce for ounce with water as the alcohol does contribute to dehydration.

 

[arjay]

Ive worked in it most of my life until a few years ago,but it always took about a week of hot weather to adapt to it every summer and I was very fit.Drink lots of water (no beer),take breaks and ease into it.High blood pressure,a weak ticker,age and a little extra weight need to be taken into account too.

 

[pittpa]

When I ran long distances in the heat I'm talking 10-13 miles, no more, I was amazed at the body's capabilities in maintaining temperature. Sometimes I felt so hot, I took my temperature, but it was never elevated and I never had a bad experience. At some point in all that running, my body started to break a sweat sooner/more easily, too easily for me now that I no longer run. But it probably serves me well. I still use Gatorade G2, the lower calorie stuff, in addition to water. I'm more prone to go out later when the sun is lower and things are cooler, or look for shady trails to bike on..

 

[bigwheelzip]

That a good PSA with this heat wave going on.

Same thing happened to hubby in Mexico. A restaurant employee across the street, witnessed him collapse and ran over with a plate of lime wedges dipped in salt. Frightening, but he recovered rapidly, thanks to a strangers quick thinking.

 

[THEMULE]

When it comes to heat...... Water and a well balanced meal is your friend. Not cold water! As much as that sounds like BS it's true.
If you drink water cooler or warmer than your body temp, your body has to warm it up or cool it down to absorb it. Let your water be room or outside temp. Drink lots of it.

As far as salt and electrolytes...... I personally have never had to concern myself with that. I've always eatin well balanced meals..... But those who sweat a lot NEED to replenish those. Sweat not only cools your body but also flushes your system out.

I've spent 2 & 1/2years in the "sandbox" (not bragging, please don't thank me) just providing "validation" for my opinion. I can remember drinking 8-10 liters of water before noon and never urinating. Not an exarduration. 8-10.
Heat exashustion is very dangerous, and if you have had it in the past, you are more susceptible to it.

NO ALCOHOL during the day. It's so bad. A good rule of thumb is, if your urine is a tint of yellow, you're dehydrated.

Hope this helps.
Bob

 

[Kronos]

I've spent the last week digging out a 1500 gal water tank,but us Flips are about the same as the Hindus who have a saying "Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun"

I've been digging overnight between about eleven at night and dawn,drinking plenty of water and I'm fine,still been a few nights (like tonight) where I'm sweating my ever lovin' arse off but better then being out in the sun!

 

[susieqz]

yesterday n today it hit 114 degrees.
stand in the sun in that temp n feel death.

far more dangerous than blizzards.

 

[snubbyfan]

Yup, y'all be careful with the heat.
Personally, me like. But I'd feel bad if anyone had a bad experience because of the heat.
Like I tell people, "my skin ain't this color because I'm a cold weather person."

 

[Kronos]

Ah-dry heat,I remember that as a kid in CA,but we out here have this insidious demon known as humidity,take the 114 Susieqz has and then dunk a towel in about as hot water as you can stand it and drape that over your face and try to breath.....

In my twenty five years here I ain't never got used to that

 

[THEMULE]

Folks ask me "what's the temp like over there"?
I tell them to bake a cake or cookies in the oven, open the door. You'll feel that rush of heat.
It's like that almost everyday all day.
Humidity has SOOO much to do with it. I would rather spend a summer in Iraq than Georgia or Florida....weather wise, that is.
In humid conditions, the bodies ability to cool itself becomes becomes very difficult.
Unfortunately, not every person is the same. There is no "recipe". Mother Army gave me guidelines, but every troop had to figure it out for themselves.

yesterday n today it hit 114 degrees.
stand in the sun in that temp n feel death.

far more dangerous than blizzards.

 

[Kronos]

@Themule:it's not just the heat,it's the fact that first you sweat all the time and it doesn't dry (you sweat in dry heat too but it dries off) and second why is it I feel I could reach out and cut the air with a knife? do you know how hard it is to breath that in? I feel like a fish! so maybe I should see about some genetically engineered gills?

I hear it's worse in South America and I can't imagine that,hell it's worse in SE Asia.

 

[Rule3]

Come on down to the Sub Tropics! where it is not just heat but humidity. The humidity down here does not let your body evaporator cool.

You need to HYDRATE BEFORE (water) you go out in the heat, You can not replenish fast enough once your body losses the liquid. Of course you need to drink water while out but if you do not start out hydrated you never catch up. Also need to wear a hat that breaths not a baseball cap, Wear light cotton shirt, better than no shirt.

It's a Jungle out there!

 

[THEMULE]

@Themule:it's not just the heat,it's the fact that first you sweat all the time and it doesn't dry (you sweat in dry heat too but it dries off) and second why is it I feel I could reach out and cut the air with a knife? do you know how hard it is to breath that in? I feel like a fish! so maybe I should see about some genetically engineered gills?

I hear it's worse in South America and I can't imagine that,hell it's worse in SE Asia.

I agree! I'll take 120 degrees at 35% over 85 degrees at 95% all the time. That's what I was trying to say, humidity is the worst.

 

[BC38]

I grew up in Missouri and got heat exhaustion once when I was about 6 years old. Still remember it to this day. Thought I was gonna die.

Humidity is definitely a killer. I can remember one specific day when I was 15 and working in the hay fields. 107 degrees in the shade on my grandfather's front porch, and humidity in the mid 90's. That'll kill ya' in a hurry if you aren't drinking LOTS of water - like as much as you can hold.

But really cold water isn't the best - though it tastes and feels the best. Too much of it too quick will make you almost as sick as getting heat exhaustion. Cool water is the best. Cools you down from the inside, but doesn't give your overheated system a thermal shock from being too cold.

 

[Ranger514]

I dealt with heat exhaustion cases on an almost daily basis as an EMT/Park Ranger at Grand Canyon National Park. In that desert environment, it takes hours to reach heat exhaustion stages, and it takes hours to recover. Cooling and water intake are very important. We had a saying: Drink before you're thirsty, and eat before you feel hungry in order to maintain a good balance of electrolytes and hydration. Another rule of thumb: If you haven't urinated fully once every two hours, it's a sign that you are dehydrated. That's an indication that you need to drink more fluids and rest in shade until you can urinate before continuing to exert yourself. We cautioned everyone to only hike during the cooler hours of the day, but a lot of folks simply weren't prepared for the harsh environement of the Canyon.

Caffeine and alcohol both act as diuretics that cause you to urinate more frequently and can hasten dehydration. When I was hiking the Inner Canyon with a 40- 50 pound pack, I alternated drinking straight water with Gatorade or ERG mixtures to maintain electrolytes and hydration, and ate granola bars and Cliff bars for energy. I still managed to get heat exhausted a couple of times when I pushed myself too hard with resulting symptoms that included nausea, headache, muscle cramps, and light headed sensations.

Heat Stroke is a much more severe condition that requires immediate cooling and rapid transport to primary care. Typically, a heat stroke victim has a core temp of over 103 F, and lapses into unconsciousness. If unattended, a heat stroke victim can burn up brain cells and die in short order.

Eat well and stay hydrated. Cool yourself and rest frequently in hot weather.

 

[coltle6920]

You are a kid yet, I have almost 20 years on you and I can bust my butt all day in a hayloft in 90+ degree heat and be just fine.

The trick is... Stay hydrated and watch your saline level. Pickles work, so do salty chips.

When I'm working hay, I drink lots of water, constantly and occasionally Gatoraide for the saline.

I always have a cooler with iced down water handy and I use it.

Stay away from alcohol (don't alcohol and golf go hand-in hand?)

I don't wear 'muscle shirts', I wear a Tee shirt and blue jeans.

Don't golf either. I think it's a lame sport at best. Golfing isn't real work and only real work keeps you going.

Put on another 20 years or so and report back....

Don't know how much you paid attention to my post so I'll remind you that it was over 15yrs ago.I'll be 65 next month so if I'm just a kid then one or both of us ain't gonna be around in 20yrs.

I like golf...People that don't like it probably were never any good at it.It's a challenge and also all rounded exercise.It's also character building.I played with everyone from old ladies to young kids and always had a great time even if I played poorly.
I wore the "muscle" shirt to get a better tan but I also liked it because I could swing more freely without any binding.

I spent my whole life doing the same things without any issues.That was back East where the humidity was much worse than here in Colorado.The problem here at a higher altitude is that you are closer to the sun and not much cloud cover so the danger can sneak up on you without warning.

Believe me when I say there was no warning for what was about to happen.

 

[Absalom]

.....

I don't know much of anything about heatstroke.If you get it once are you more susceptible the rest of your life? ......

I guess we all need a kick in the pants to wake us up and show we're not invincible.You wont need to tell me a second time!

Lots of good advice already.

Heat exhaustion and its "evil brother" heat stroke isn't really something you "get" like the flu or a heart attack. It's a process of your body having trouble managing temperature, fluids, and electrolytes. So if you pay attention, you can prevent it. But physical condition does play a part, so as we get older, our envelope shrinks.

I have spent some extended time periods in the desert, including (in my young and crazy years) a summer working in Death Valley, when we actually lost a tourist who decided to go for a walk in the sand dunes at mid-day in July; he started hiking around 11, was found around 12:30 and was deceased by 1.

So I learned to pay attention. Water alone doesn't do it. In fact, drinking too much water can also be bad. In extreme cases it can lead to a condition called hyponatremia.

It's important to pay attention to "the BIG THREE":
heat/sun = always wear a hat, avoid sunburn etc.
hydration = drink enough, but not excessively; check the color of your pee.
electrolytes = drinks with sodium, potassium, magnesium etc.

We used to carry an electrolyte drink called Gookinaid in powder form in our trucks in half-gallon cans. When we came across tourists who looked like they might have heat trouble, mixing that up was always the first attack; since it's not medication by anyone's definition, dispensing it was unproblematic. I'm not sure whether the brand is still around.

 

[Rintimtin]

The heat is no joke. I work outside doing forest inventory, the snakes and gators don't scare me the wild pigs and bears don't scare me, but the summer heat and humidity in south GA does.

 

[old bear]

Everyone please pay attention to the above information. Heat stroke and Heat exhaustion, is nothing to plat around with.