The Heat of the Moment

  Yesterday was the first day of summer.  I, like many others, spent the day out in the sun.  My children and I had a great time.  But when I got home I felt funny.  I was experiencing dizziness, nausea, and I was so thirsty.  It didn’t take me long to realize that I was suffering from a mild case of heat exhaustion.  I thought I was drinking enough water but considering that the temperature was in the 90s, I think I should have prepared a little better.

  Heat related illness is serious business.  This happens when your body can’t keep itself cool.  The American Academy of Family Physicians wrote, “As the air temperature rises, your body stays cool when your sweat evaporates. On hot, humid days, the evaporation of sweat is slowed by the increased moisture in the air. When sweating isn't enough to cool your body, your body temperature rises, and you may become ill.”

  Symptoms of this illness include; weakness, headache, dizziness, muscle weakness or cramps, nausea and vomiting, worried feeling, fast heartbeat, and dehydration.  I had at least three of these symptoms yesterday and I was only out in the heat for about two hours. 

  A more serious heat illness is heat stroke.  Information provided by WebMD tells us how heat stroke can be fatal.  “The person's cooling system, which is controlled by the brain, has stopped working, and the internal temperature has risen to the point where brain damage or damage to other internal organs may result [temperature may reach 105+°F].” 

  Making sure that you take care of yourself and your family in hot weather is very important.  The CDC reported that during 1979–2002, a total of 4,780 deaths in the United States were heat related.  This may seem like a small number but it still should cause concern.  The ones at greater risk are children and the elderly.  Kids like to run around and you have to make sure they are replacing all of the fluids that they are sweating.  The elderly have other medical conditions that may be aggravated in hot weather.

  I still plan on going out in the summer sun.  I love the outdoor too much to become a hermit.  But, trust me, I will be a lot more careful the next time I do.  I’ll find a shady spot and bring a big jug of ice water.  It’ll take more than a mild case of heat exhaustion to stop me from having some fun in the sun!