Protect Yourself From Heat Sickness

As fall camps begin across the country athletes face the same issue of heat illness and heat stroke. We hear or read stories every year at this time of football players suffering heat related health problems or dying from heat stroke.

This article will provide some tips on how to protect yourself from heat related issues and how to avoid over-hydrating and avoid water poisoning.

Heat Stroke:
Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency that occurs when the body's cooling system shuts down. The core body temperature becomes very high and can exceed 105 degrees. Symptoms can include lack of sweat, hot dry skin, increased pulse rate, confusion, seizures and coma, left untreated heat stroke can result in death.

Athletes are more likely to experience exertional heat stroke.

Exertional heat stroke:
This is the most serious of heat related illnesses. Athletes are moer at risk to suffer exertional heat stroke. The difference between exertional heat stroke and regular heat stroke is that ahletes continue to sweat despite the core temprature.

Diagnosis or Exertional Heat Stroke:
The body core temprature is 105 F with diminished mental status such as confusion, disorientation and clumsiness. If these symptoms are ignored the athlete may collapse and enter into a coma. Should any of these signs be present cooling the patent and emergency treatment are essential.

Hyponatremia:
This is water poisoning and it can be fatal. Water poisoning is when the athlete has many of the same signs as dehydration but they have flushed all the sodium from their system. Adequate sodium balance is necessary for transmitting nerve impulses and proper muscle function, and even a slight depletion of this concentration can cause problems. Studies have shown that high intensity athletes can lose up to 2 grams of salt per liter of sweat. Replacing this during the event is critical to performance and safety.

Symptoms of Hyponatremia:
The symptoms are similar to dehydration, nausea, dizziness, cottonmouth and should not be ignored.
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Treatment:
Drink a sodium containing sports drink or eat salty foods.

When you are working out in these hot temperatures pay attention to what signs your body is giving off. Before practice or workouts drink water and beverages that will supply electrolytes.

Learn more about how to protect yourself from dehydration and heat stroke and learn how to be treated or treat others.

Preventing Environmental Heat Illnesses

Dehydration, Heat Injuries and Sports Drinks