Heat Exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a multi-factor condition in which the body becomes weak and fatigued due to inadequate internal temperature cooling.  This overheating of the body is commonly induced by external exposure to heat.  As an essential part of fitness safety and performance, it is critical to follow precautions and monitor your body’s condition regularly during any physical activity.  Let’s take a closer look at some of the symptoms, treatments, and preventive measures of heat exhaustion.

Symptoms

The symptoms of heat exhaustion may manifest themselves very quickly and often without warning.  These symptoms include, but are not limited to:

• Dizziness or lost of balance;  This can be in the form of decreased coordination or focus.  In severe cases, the ill person may have delirium like symptoms such as sudden confusion.
• Headache or slight fever;  The increase in internal temperature, particularly in the head, can bring upon headaches or fever-like symptoms.
• Fast heart rate;  Your cardiovascular system is working extra hard when your body is under heat stress.  A large amount of your blood is filled into the outer layers of your skin in an attempt to cool you down.  This can result in a lack of blood flow to the brain, which may promote headaches and dizziness.  In some instances, you may experience palpitation, or unusual awareness of your heart beating.
• Blurred vision;  Your vision may become unfocused, you start to see bubbles or light spots, or even temporary blackouts in vision.
• Heavy sweating, followed by reduced sweating;  This is sometimes difficult to decipher because sweating is a normal cooling mechanism of the body.  However, reduced sweating during similar physical activity and the development of clammy cool skin may be a warning sign of dehydration.
• Muscle fatigue or cramping;  This is often caused by a deficiency of fluids and electrolytes in the body, which are needed for muscle tissues to perform correctly.

Treatments

In treating someone with symptoms of heat exhaustion, the key is to reduce the body’s temperature gradually back to normal.

1. Move to cooler environment
   First and foremost, if the person is in a heated environment (such as outdoors in the sun, or indoors in a poorly ventilated room), remove the person from the heated environment and into a cooler, ventilated location.  If you are in an area away from buildings, bring the person into a shaded area away from direct sunlight.
2. Sit down
   If possible, the person should remain upright for an initial rest period to promote breathing.  Particularly during intense physical activity, lack of oxygen can be the cause of many heat exhaustion symptoms.  After breathing has returned to normal, the person can be treated lying down.
3. Remove excess clothing and provide fresh air
   Remove any excessive clothing or equipment which may promote extra heat or constrict the person’s body.  Fanning may assist in the reduction of the external temperature as well and give the person some fresh air to regain normal breathing.
   

   Hydration

4. Hydration
   Since heat related exhaustion almost always is coupled with dehydration, it is important to administer fluids to the ill person.  Fluids containing electrolytes are best, such as sports drinks.  However since many sports drinks contain high concentrations of sugar, it is recommended that you mix in at least 50% plain water to dilute these types of beverages.  For more intense heat exhaustion, start by giving the ill person the fluids at room temperature or slightly chilled first before proceeding to cooler liquids to avoid shock on the body caused by the extreme temperature difference.
5. External cooling
   External cooling mechanisms may be used to assist in the treatment of the ill person.  This can include applying a cool, wet towel on the person’s head or wetting the person’s entire body.  Fanning could also be used in conjunction with wetting to increase evaporation to cool the person’s skin.
   

Although heat exhaustion is usually temporary and can be alleviated by following the above treatments, for severe conditions, seek immediate medical attention.

Preventive Measures

There are several preventive measures that can be followed to reduce the risk of heat related illness.  Some suggestions may include:

Heat Index Map

• Avoid peak hours of heat
  The most straightforward approach to prevent heat exhaustion is to avoid prolonged intense physical activities in high heat conditions, particularly outdoor sports during the peak hours of a hot day.  Pay attention to local heat advisories for additional warnings about the heat and air quality indexes.
• Hydration
  If you are going to participate in physical fitness, especially outdoors, it is critical that you are properly hydrated before, during, and after your workout.  Start hydrating yourself an hour before the activity.  During your activity, you should try to consume fluids with electrolytes.  Again, try to avoid sugary beverages.  If you opt for sports drinks, consider watering them down with a high water ratio such as 90% water to 10% sports drink.  After your workout, continue to hydrate yourself with nutritious liquids to replenish the water and nutrients loss during your physical activity.  Also, be careful of over hydration which can cause water intoxication.
• Nutrition
  This goes hand-in-hand with proper hydration.  Your body needs fuel to consume during physical activity.  Without proper nutrition, your body may be more susceptible to heat exhaustion.  Consider consuming high-carbohydrate foods prior to long workouts to assist with your endurance.  Further, be sure your diet contains the necessary vitamins and nutrients so that its thermoregulation mechanisms properly.
• Warm up
  What?!  Warm up to avoid heat exhaustion?  Yes.  Just because it is hot out does not mean your body is ready for physical activity.  Properly warming up will allow your body to prepare for exertion by gradually loosening up muscles to prevent cramping and trigger appropriate chemical responses in your body to ready the cooling processes in your body.
• Monitor conditions and take breaks
  It is easy to get caught up in the action, especially when playing competitive sports, but attention should be given to regularly monitor your body’s conditions.  Is your skin feeling clammy and cold?  Is your mouth dry?  Is your heart beat feeling weak?  Paying attention to your body’s conditions can catch early warning signs of heat exhaustion so that you can take appropriate precautions.  Remember to take periodic breaks for rest and hydration.  Not only will this help prevent heat induced illnesses, it will allow you to perform better and prevent you from burning out too quickly.

Heat Exhaustion Regardless of External Temperature

Although heat exhaustion is usually brought upon and heightened by heat from the environment, it is important to note that someone can suffer from heat related exhaustion regardless of external temperature.  Any inhibitors of internal body temperature cooling can bring upon the symptoms of heat exhaustion.  A person with a high fever can easily suffer from heat exhaustion if they are not properly hydrated or treated.

Delirium is the condition of abrupt mental confusion or significant lost of mental awareness.  This condition can be caused by various factors including lack of blood flow to the brain, exhaustion, dehydration, drug influence, and lack of sleep.  Delirium is usually temporary and most often exhibited by the elderly.  More serious cases of delirium may be the result of physical damage of the brain from strokes or underlying diseases, such as multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Body Systems

Here’s a quick and simple refresher and breakdown of the major body systems.

To assist in remembering these major systems, think of the acronym “IM NERD CURLS“!

Integumentary
Muscular

Nervous
Endocrine
Reproductive
Digestive

Cardiovascular
Urinary
Respiratory
Lymphatic
Skeletal

Let’s get a brief overview of what each system does.

Integumentary System

The integumentary system is responsible for actions such as the defending your body from foreign matter and maintaining consistent body temperature.  Included in the integumentary system are your skin, sweat glands, and hair.  Besides protection of the body, the integumentary system also produces the essential vitamin D.

Muscular System

The muscular system includes all the major and minor muscles in your body.  This system is key to allowing your body to move through contracting and relaxing of the muscles.  The muscular system is also vital in producing heat for the regulation of temperature.  Muscles are involved in other body systems such as the autonomous, or self-controlling,  muscles of the heart.

Nervous System

The nervous system includes your brain, your spinal cord, and all the nerves that reach throughout your body.  This system is responsible for processing information, decision making, and communication between all body systems.

Endocrine System

The endocrine system is responsible for the release of hormones into the body.  The wide array of hormones secreted by the various glands of the endocrine system are essential to all other body systems and act as a triggering mechanism for other processes.  These hormones help to sustain normal growth, development, and repair of cells and indirectly administers the actions of the other body systems.

Reproductive System

The reproductive system, unlike all the other systems of the body, is not primarily concerned with homeostatic regulation of the body.  The reproductive system is also significantly different in processes and physical structure betweeen men and women, including the ovaries, uterus, and vagina for females and the testes and penis for males.  This system is responsible for human reproduction.

Digestive System

The digestive system is tasked with the processing and breakdown of foods, the absorption of water, vitamins, and other important substances, and the excretion of the left over waste products.  The digestive system includes multiple parts of your body from your tongue, teeth, and salivary glands to your stomach, liver, and intestines.

Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system includes the heart, arteries, blood vessels, capillaries, and veins that run throughout our bodies.  This system’s primary role is that of transportation of nutrients, oxygen, and hormones to all the cells of the body.  Waste from the cells and carbon dioxide is also transported via the cardiovascular system to their respective organs for removal.

Urinary System

The urinary system, also known as the excretory system, is responsible for tasks such as the filtering out and removal of wastes (urine) and regulating the balance of salts and other substances in the blood.  This system consists primarily of the kidneys, but also utilizes the skin, liver, and other organs in its processes.

Respiratory System

The respiratory system’s job is to intake oxygen and expel carbon dioxide from the body.  The major player of the respiratory system is, of course, the lungs.  The proper balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels is critical in the regulation of the pH level in the blood.

Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system includes the tonsils, the spleen, and related nodes, vessels, and glands.  This system is charged with three main duties.  First, the lymphatic system removes excess lymph, which is the fluid between cells, in an effort to remove old blood cells and wastes.  Secondly, this system is responsible for absorption of the by products of fat processing such as fatty acids and triglycerides.  Third, the lymphatic system protects the body from harmful micro organisms by blocking infections via the tonsils and through the transporting of antigen fighting cells.

Skeletal System

The skeletal system’s most obvious role is that of support in movement of the body and protection of many of the vital organs in our bodies through hardened mineral deposits of bone.  The skeletal system is also essential for storing important minerals such as calcium for the body.  Further, some bones have a hollow center containing marrow, which is a site for the production of new blood cells.

A nosocomial infection refers to infections that are contracted as a result of hospital or other medical service treatment.  Commonly known as hospital acquired infections, nosocomial infections are often acquired by persons who have had surgical procedures performed.   Other conditions in the medical space such as poor sanitation, mistakes by health care practitioners, or inadequate decontamination of equipment can lead to patients and other health care employees contracting an infection.

These incidents may lead to disease or even death and among the leading contributors to health care malpractice law suits.

Palpitation refers to the unusual consciousness of the heart beating.  Have you ever woke up suddenly from a nightmare and feel your heart thumping?  This alertness of your heart beating, at any speed or rhythm and for a varied lengths of time, is known as palpitation.

Palpitation can be caused by numerous elements including a sudden chemical imbalances in the body such as that of adrenaline, an under lying diseases such as high blood pressure or anemia, or a physical irregularity of the heart’s valves.

Homeostasis, in human physiology, includes the variety of internal processes that seek to maintain balance in the body.  The body’s systems constantly monitor conditions throughout the body, including temperature and the amount of particular hormones and chemicals in the blood stream.  Based on the status of these numerous signals, the body will respond accordingly and make adjustments in order to keep everything stable.

A positive feedback response is one that magnify a particular change in our bodies.

An allergic reaction to dust or pollen may cause the massive release of the histamine protein, which often causes an inflammation of the cells.  This inflammation of the cells may trigger other bodily systems to take a positive feedback reaction by increasing the internal temperature of the body, thus intensifying the inflammation.

In maintaining balance of internal systems in our bodies, a negative feedback response is one that seeks to counteract the course of a change.

Suppose your body temperature is heating up from exercise, your brain will process this temperature change and signal the sweat glands in your skin to start sweating in order to cool you down.  This response is considered a negative feedback, because the reaction of your body was one in which the temperature increase is reversed.