Sunstroke in adults

Since ancient times, the sun has been bringing warmth to the world, giving people the hormone of joy and priceless vitamin D, but sometimes it can also become an insidious enemy. We are talking about those cases when someone does not take into account the rules of safe stay under the hot rays. And then the celestial luminary strikes back, which is called the solar one.

What is sunstroke

This is a type of heat stroke that occurs due to exposure to direct sunlight. Sunstroke occurs when a person’s body heats up excessively. And although the body is able to regulate the temperature, reacting to its increase with increased sweating, sometimes this process can fail. In this case, overheating causes the expansion of the vessels of the head, which increases the flow of blood to them.

Causes of sunstroke in adults

Most often, this is a long stay in hot weather under the sun at its zenith, from about 11 am to 16 pm. Therefore, you can get hit, both on the beach, and in the garden or in training. Under the influence of direct sunlight, the head heats up, and the parts of the brain overheat. All this leads to an increase in blood pressure, which threatens to rupture small vessels and disrupt the central nervous system and vital body functions.

Factors that increase the risk of sunstroke:

• excess weight;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• alcohol intoxication and smoking;
• too tight (synthetic) and tight clothing;
• lack of protective headgear;
• neurological problems;
• elderly age;
• windless and stuffy weather;
• taking antidepressants.

Symptoms of sunstroke in adults

There are three degrees of sunstroke:

• Lightweight – the victim experiences weakness, headache, nausea. At the same time, his pulse is quickened, and his pupils are dilated.
• Average – a person’s temperature jumps sharply, headache, nausea, dizziness and tinnitus appear, gait becomes unstable, blackouts and flies appear in the eyes, loss of consciousness and bleeding from the nose are possible.
• Heavy – develops suddenly. The victim’s face becomes hot and red, then turns pale. The skin of the face and mucous membranes acquire a grayish-blue or cyanotic dark shade, which indicates a violation of blood circulation. Body temperature rises to 41-42°C. Against this background, the pulse weakens and quickens, convulsions, dizziness, hallucinations, delirium, loss of consciousness, or even coma may appear.

Treatment of sunstroke in adults

The main treatment is to cool the victim and eliminate dehydration. It is important to provide the right first aid.

“The most important thing is to take a person into the shade, raise his legs, put any cold object on his forehead, free his chest from squeezing clothes, a man needs to unfasten his belt and tie,” says ambulance doctor at the A. S. Puchkov Medical and Emergency Medical Service Mikhail Konevsky. – It is also important to examine the things of the victim, perhaps he suffers from diabetes and has hypoglycemia. This fact can be confirmed, for example, by a book of a diabetic. With this option, you urgently need to crumble sugar or chocolate into his mouth. You can also dissolve 5 to 6 teaspoons of sugar in water and gently spoon into your mouth. If a person feels bad, but he does not complain about anything, I earnestly ask you not to give him nitroglycerin, so as not to complicate the person’s condition and the work of ambulance doctors. This is a vasodilator drug, which must be used strictly for its intended purpose.

In case of sunstroke, experts also advise giving a person a cool mineral water or replacing it with ordinary water, adding salt and sugar on the tip of a knife. This will help restore the water-salt balance.

You can also cool the body with wet towels or bags of cold water, which are applied to the armpits, groin and neck. In case of loss of consciousness, ammonia should be brought to the nose of the patient.

Diagnostics

Some of the symptoms of sunstroke can be similar to those of a stroke, a severe drug allergy, an acute bacterial infection, or complications of thyroid disease, so calling an ambulance as soon as possible is important for a correct diagnosis. It is possible that the victim will need to be examined by a resuscitator, cardiologist, neurologist or other specialists.

Modern treatments

People with signs of sunstroke require specialized medical care, especially if they are elderly patients and those who suffer from cardiovascular pathologies or chronic diseases. If necessary, the ambulance will give the patient artificial respiration. To restore the water-salt balance, a solution of sodium chloride is administered intravenously. In heart failure and asphyxia, subcutaneous injections of CNS stimulants are used. Antihypertensive and diuretic drugs are used to normalize blood pressure. In case of severe sunstroke, the patient is hospitalized in a hospital, where they will carry out a full range of resuscitation measures, including intravenous drips, intubation, pacing, the introduction of diuretics and oxygen therapy. Ambulance doctor Mikhail Konevsky recommends seeking medical attention even for mild sunstroke.

Anyone who has suffered sunstroke is advised by doctors to avoid physical activity for several days, otherwise it may happen again. The consequences of sunstroke in the future may be violations of certain brain functions, headaches, various neurological conditions, problems with coordination of movements, vision and diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Prevention of sunstroke in adults at home

Here are some tips to avoid sunstroke:

• do not be in the heat under the open sun, especially from 11 am to 17 pm – otherwise use sun umbrellas or hide in the shade;
• wear light clothing made from natural fabrics, hats;
• monitor the water balance, drink mineral water, weakly brewed green tea or natural diluted juices;
• avoid fatty and protein foods and alcohol in the heat.

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