Is this your symptom?
- Symptoms after being in high temperatures. Heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke are covered
- Symptoms after hard work or sports during hot weather
Types of Heat Reactions
- There are 3 main reactions to hot temperatures and heat waves.
- Heatstroke or Sunstroke (serious). Symptoms are hot, flushed skin with fever greater than 105° F (40.5° C). More than 50% of people with heatstroke do not sweat. Heatstroke can cause confusion, coma or shock. It is a life-threatening emergency. It has a high death rate, if not treated quickly.
- Heat Exhaustion. Symptoms are pale skin, lots of sweating, and nausea. Dizziness, fainting, or weakness can also be signs. May have a mild fever 100 - 102° F (37.8 - 39° C) for a short time. But, most of the time, there is no fever. Most of these symptoms are caused by dehydration from sweating. A person can progress from heat exhaustion to heatstroke. So, all patients with severe symptoms (such as fainting) need to be seen now. Mild symptoms (such as dizziness) can be treated at home with fluids and rest. But, if symptoms don't go away with treatment, these patients also need to be seen.
- Heat Cramps. Symptoms are severe muscle cramps in the legs (calf or thigh muscles) and stomach. No fever. Tightness or spasms of the hands may occur. After the patient drinks fluids and cools down, he or she will feel better. All symptoms should go away in a few hours.
Causes of Heat Reactions
- All 3 reactions are caused by exposure to high temps, often with high humidity.
- Exertion. During hot weather, hard work or sports can cause heat production to exceed heat loss.
- Dehydration. Sweating during hot weather can cause sweat loss to exceed fluid intake. Not drinking enough fluids then limits sweating and increases the risk of heat reactions.
- Heat waves. The first heat wave of the summer can cause heat problems. It takes 8 to 10 days for you to become used to high summer temps. This sudden change in temperature can also happen on vacations.
- Being indoors without air-conditioning during heat waves is the main cause of heat stroke in the elderly.
- Health and risk factors. The elderly have a lower ability to sweat. Obese people have a lower ability to give off heat. People with heart or lung disease are less able to handle heat stress.
When to Call for Heat Exposure and Reactions
Call 911 Now
Go to ER Now
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
|
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
|
Self Care at Home
|
Call 911 Now
- Hard to wake up or can't wake up
- Acts or talks confused
- Seizure
- Signs of shock (very weak or gray, cool skin)
- Fever higher than 105° F (40.5° C)
- You think the patient has a life-threatening emergency
Go to ER Now
- Passed out (fainted) or too weak to stand
- Fever or chills; feeling hot or shivery
- Can't walk or can barely walk (not steady, need support)
Call Doctor or Seek Care Now
- Vomiting keeps you (or patient) from drinking fluids
- You feel dehydrated (dark urine, dry mouth)
- Fever or dizziness still there after drinking fluids for more than 2 hours
- High Risk patient (long term health problems, weak immune system, older than age 70)
- You feel weak or very sick
- You think the patient needs to be seen, and the problem is urgent
Contact Doctor Within 24 Hours
- You think you need to be seen, but the problem is not urgent
Self Care at Home
- Normal muscle cramps or sore muscles from heat exposure
- Normal dizziness from heat exposure
- Prevention of heat reactions
Care Advice for Stomach Pain
What You Should Know About Stomach Pain:
- Mild stomach pain can be caused by something simple. It could be from gas pains or eating too much.
- Sometimes, stomach pain signals the start of a viral infection. This will lead to vomiting or loose stools.
- Watching your child for 2 hours will help tell you the cause.
- Here is some care advice that should help.
Lie Down:
- Have your child lie down and rest until feeling better.
Clear Fluids:
- Offer clear fluids only (such as water, flat soft drinks or half-strength Gatorade).
- For mild pain, offer a regular diet.
Prepare for Vomiting:
- Keep a vomiting pan handy.
- Younger children often talk about stomach pain when they have nausea. Nausea is the sick stomach feeling that comes before they throw up.
Pass a Stool:
- Have your child sit on the toilet and try to pass a stool.
- This may help if the pain is from constipation or diarrhea.
- Note: for constipation, moving a warm wet cotton ball on the anus may help.
Do Not Give Medicines:
- Any drug (like ibuprofen) could upset the stomach and make the pain worse.
- Do not give any pain medicines or laxatives for stomach cramps.
- For fever higher than 102° F (39° C), acetaminophen (such as Tylenol) can be given.
What to Expect:
- With harmless causes, the pain is most often better or gone in 2 hours.
- With stomach flu, belly cramps may happen before each bout of vomiting or diarrhea. These cramps may come and go for a few days.
- With serious causes (such as appendicitis), the pain worsens and becomes constant.
Call Your Doctor If:
- Pain becomes severe
- Constant pain lasts more than 2 hours
- Mild pain that comes and goes lasts more than 24 hours
- You think your child needs to be seen
- Your child becomes worse
Extra Help - Worried Stomach:
- Help your child talk about events that trigger the stomach pain. Talk to your child about how to cope with these the next time around.
- Help your child worry less about things she can't control.
- To treat the pain, help your child get very relaxed. Lying down in a quiet place and taking slow deep breaths may help. Make the belly go up and down with each breath. Then try to relax all the muscles in the body. Think about something pleasant. Listening to audios that teach how to relax might also help.
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Make sure that your child doesn't miss any school because of stomach pains. Stressed children tend to want to stay home when the going gets rough.
- Caution: your child should see her doctor for an exam. Do this before concluding frequent stomach pains are from worrying too much.
