Your body has the capabilities to regulate its internal temperature. When the internal heat rises, your body may cool itself down by sweating or radiating the skin’s heat. However, exposing your body to too much heat without taking in enough fluids may cause dehydration. This may cause failure to the body’s cooling processes allowing heat to accumulate to dangerous levels.
Extreme heat in your body or prolonged exposure to high temperatures causes heatstroke.
Untreated heatstroke may damage your heart, brain, kidneys, and muscles.
Heatstroke mainly occurs due to exposure to high temperatures. When your body becomes dehydrated, it may not sweat enough to regulate its temperature. This may cause your internal temperature to rise to dangerously high levels. Below are the causes of heatstroke:
Exertional heat stroke
This occurs when your body is intensively active in a got environment. Exertional heat stroke typically affects young people who are least concerned about the effects of heat on their bodies.
Non-exertional heat stroke
This occurs when your body has a diminished ability to control its temperature. This tends to affect older people, infants, or people with chronic illnesses.
Other causes of heat stroke include:
Regardless of your age, anyone can develop heatstroke. Below are factors that may increase your risk of heatstroke:
Age
Depending on the firmness of your central nervous system, your body has the ability to manage extreme heat. In children, the central nervous system may not be fully developed. In older adults, the central nervous system starts to deteriorate. This makes their body less cope with temperature changes
Sudden exposure to hot weather
You can get a heat stroke if your body is exposed to a sudden hotter environment
Certain medication
Some medication may narrow your blood vessels or block adrenaline influencing your body’s ability to respond to heat.
Certain health condition
Chronic illnesses like lung or heart disease may increase your risk of heat stroke
Seek immediate attention at our ER for heat stroke if the following symptoms are experienced:
Our emergency room in Baytown will examine your body to determine the possible causes of the high temperature. Your doctor may also perform tests to monitor how well your body organs are functioning.
If you suspect a person may be experiencing heatstroke, seek immediate medical attention at Altus Emergency Center Baytown. Take prompt action to cool the overheated person and consider emergency first aid for heatstroke:
Below are steps to prevent heatstroke:
Drinking plenty of fluids prevents dehydration, maintaining a normal body temperature
Loose-fitting clothing improves your body’s ability to sweat and cool down during hot temperatures
Alcohol may affect your body’s ability to regulate its temperature
When parked outside, cars may quickly heat up to high temperatures. Any person left in a parked car may be at risk of suffering a heat stroke
Cut down working or exercising in hot temperatures until you are customed to it
Sunscreen offers protection to the skin against the harmful rays from the sun
If you have an increased risk of heat stroke, avoid hot environments. Seek immediate response if you experience the symptoms of heatstroke.