Some Like It Hot

By Dr. Dave Edenfield

Summer is in full swing.  That means weekend barbecues, trips to the amusement park with the kids and long walks on the beach.  In Florida it also means heat stress, that constant companion that dogs all of those 

Sun Pillar (Photo credit: tomhe)

brave enough to set foot outdoors in July and August when the thermometer is on the far side of 90 degrees day in and day out.  For many people, particularly displaced northerners, heat stress can quickly turn into heat exhaustion or even heat stroke.  So if you don’t want to wind up being chauffeured to the local ER by a team of EMTs there are a few things you need to understand in order to beat the heat this summer.

      1.      Hydration Trumps Prostration

Starting a three mile hike down a nature trail clutching a can of Coke in the middle of July at high noon is one sure way to wind up face down on the trail.  Experienced hikers know that you need to bring enough water to make a long trek in the heat possible.  Since the body can lose up to a quart per hour on a hot day and the typical walking pace is three miles per hour, you need to carry at least a half-gallon of water if you are going to walk three miles and back.

      2.      Made in the Shade

If you do venture outdoors in the summer, make sure you wear a hat or tote a beach or a golf umbrella to ward off the Sun’s rays.  Hats with wrap around brims are preferred to ball caps, since they provide more shade and are not worn tight against the scalp.

      3.      Timing is Everything

The best time to perform any kind of strenuous activity in the summer is either early in the morning or after the sun goes down.  I have a neighbor who is known to strap a bike headlight onto his mower in order to cut the grass at 8:30 pm.

      4.      Dress for Success

While that bathing suit shows off your curves, it also allows the sun to dehydrate and overheat your body in the shortest time possible.  Particularly if you plan on walking any distance in the hot sun, you need to sport the kind of attire that retains moisture and keeps the body cool.  At the very least a tee shirt is a must since it helps to retain moisture which in turn helps to cool the body.

      5.      Be Aware If You Dare

If you insist on venturing outside in the heat of the day, you need to be aware of the onset of heat-related maladies since ignoring the early phases of heat stress can prove deadly.

Heat Fatigue is typically caused by lack of hydration, as are heat cramps.  Both of these conditions while not life threatening is your body’s way of telling you to slow down, seek shelter from the sun and rehydrate.  The onset is usually a combination of fatigue and possibly muscle spasms.  If you don’t heed these warning signs the progression onto more serious conditions is imminent.

Heat Exhaustion is the next rung up the ladder of heat stress.  While this condition is common to athletes who don’t know enough to get in out of the sun, it can also be experienced by hikers and even the 

occasional gardener who push their bodies too hard in the summer heat.  Think of the way your body deals with heat as the radiator in your car.  As long as the radiator has sufficient fluid and the fan keeps turning, your car has little trouble dealing with even the hottest of days.  However, if the fan belt breaks or the anti-freeze level drops, suddenly red lights start to light up on the dashboard until the car sputters to a halt.  The human body works a lot like that.  When it is properly hydrated and attired it is possible to deal with the summer heat without curtailing activities.  However, once the body’s core temperature exceeds 102 Fahrenheit, a cascade of events begin to occur that lets you or those around you know that your internal radiator is about to boil over.  Symptoms can include dizziness, stumbling, nausea or even chills.  Internally the blood pressure will rapidly drop and the pulse will race as the body tries desperately to shed excess heat.  If these symptoms manifest themselves, the only solution is to seek shelter, rehydrate and cool the victim.  Failure to do so could lead to heat stroke.

heat stroke (Photo credit: Shenghung Lin)

Heat Stroke occurs when the core temperature reaches or exceeds 105 degrees Fahrenheit.   Signs of heat

 stroke are slurred speech or disorientation.  The next stage is unconsciousness and possibly death unless rapid cooling and rehydration is performed immediately.

As a trained medical professional, I can’t stress enough the nutritional factors that come into play in triggering heat-related health issues.  Recent studies have shown that heat-related fatalities have risen more than three hundred percent in the past two decades.  Young people in particular are far more prone to heat stroke due to the fact that teens and young adults today consume far more caffeinated beverages than ever before.  While that soda may feel refreshing as it goes down it can actually dehydrate the body.  It isn’t unusual for teenage athletes to pass out or even die on the ball field due to heat stroke.  While parents point the finger at coaches and trainers, in many cases it is the athletes themselves who are also to blame since they push themselves beyond their limits in order to keep from getting benched or cut from the team. In order to prevent your child from succumbing to heat stroke you need to make them aware of the warning signs of heat stress so that they will understand when they or their friends need to head for the sidelines as opposed to being carried off the field. 

Certain drugs such as antihistamines and antidepressants can also lower the tolerance for heat stress.  In 

Goalfinder exercise-produces-energy (Photo credit: gfinder)

allergy season particularly this can be problematic, since antihistamines not only dry the sinuses, they also dry the mouth.  They also reduce the body’s ability to sweat freely.  Particularly if your child takes prescription allergy medication, or any medication that impairs the body’s ability to sweat, you need to tell the coach. 

By heeding the warning signs of heat stress and using common sense to make certain that you and yours are properly attired, hydrated and educated you don’t have to be afraid of venturing outdoors during the dog days of summer.  If your child is involved in athletics also bear in mind that chiropractors can provide a world of advice on sports training and nutrition that can help young athletes maximize their performance while minimizing stress and injury. 

Dr. Dave Edenfield  and Dr. Steven Warfield are part of the team of doctors and therapists at http://www.lakewoodchiropracticjax.com/ who are dedicated to helping you and your family lead  healthier, happier and pain-free lives.