How Summer Heat Causes Heat Strokes

After a long cold winter and a cold rainy spring, we all look forward to the warmth of summer and summer activities such as swimming, camping, biking and much more. While playing outside can be fun and sometime exhausting, working outside can be treacherous. If you’re mowing the lawn or working outside during the summer remember summer heat can be dangerous, it can even get fatally hot.

If you’re working or playing in hot weather, be careful because the hot sun can cause a number of issues like dehydration, skin rash, hot skin, heat exhaustion, heat cramps, fatigue, depression, irritability, anger, aggression, violence, sun poisoning and strokes. The summer heat can also cause a number of skin issues, mental issues, injuries and even death.

5 Symptoms of Heat Stroke

When you are outside working or playing and your body temperature rises to 104F very quickly, and you can’t produce enough sweat to cool down, you are in danger of getting a heat stroke. There may be other stages a person may go through before getting a heat stroke such as heat exhaustion, headache, high body temperature, hot skin, rapid breathing, confusion, nausea and vomiting, heat cramps and then a stroke.

If you had a heat stroke then recovery may take up to 2 days in the hospital. It could take longer than that if you have organ damage from heat stroke. If you feel as if your body temperature is going up while you’re in the heat of the day and you feel tired with a headache, drink water immediately. Get in the shade or move to a cool area. Pour water on your head or splash water on your face. Rest and try to cool your body temperature down.

Can Summer Heat Affect Your Thinking?

Yes summer heat can affect your thinking. Studies have shown that the hot summer days can indeed affect your mind. When the weather gets dangerously hot your mood and mind is affected and the hot weather causes fatigue, anxiety, depression, confusion, anger, aggression, and suicide. The hot summer temperatures can also cause relapses in people who already have bipolar disorders, manic episodes, and schizophrenia and other mental health disorders.

Scientists don’t know why this happens. One theory this may happens is because our brains are 80% water an our bodies are 70% water, and when that water heats up above the normal 98 degrees it may cause mental disorders. Let’s ask ourselves what does heat do to water? Heat evaporates water and dries it out. We do become more dehydrated when we are in the heat and the water left in our brain and bodies are heating up. Just think of your brain sitting in hot water. The heat becomes so uncomfortable and we become very angry.

You can get heat stroke at any stage in life, but there are some influences that may increase your risk such as:

Age: If you are 65 or older it is harder for your body to cope with the changes in temperature.

Exertion in hot weather: If you are playing sports, exercising, or working in hot weather you may be at a higher risk to get heat stroke.

Health Conditions: If you have a health condition such as damage organs, obesity or mental disorders, you are at a higher risk of getting heat stroke.

Taking Medications or Drugs: Some legal medications are dehydrating, or it can affect your blood vessels or other organs. As well as illegal drugs which affect your mind and organs and increases your risk of getting heat stroke.Drinking Alcohol: Alcohol will dehydrate your brain and body and put you at a greater risk of getting heat stroke.

7 Ways to Cool Off In The Summer

As posted by the Mayoclinic.org here are some steps you can take to prevent heat strokes:

• Wear light colored and loose fitting clothing
• Drink fluids and stay hydrated
• Wear sunscreen and protect your skin
• Find a cool location during the hottest time of the day
• Don’t do physical activities in high hot temperatures
• Don’t drink alcohol or take drugs during hot days
• Do not leave anyone or a pet in a hot parked car
• Take a cool shower or run through water