The Bahamas and the Continent of the Americas have been under a heat wave of unusual proportions over the last several weeks. This has resulted in several deaths recorded in the United States and most recently in New Providence also. This has caused myself as a family physician to give good medical advice to the public at large. It is most necessary to give advice to the elderly because they are most susceptible to these hot conditions and they are often too feeble to hydrate themselves, to find cool shelter and even to afford air-conditioning.
HEAT STROKE
This is how you must Beat the Heat because the result can be quite fatal as was seen in Texas last week. The conditions in heat stroke are: A body temperature in excess of 105 degrees fahrenheit which is equivalent to 40.6 degrees centigrade. The body pulse rises above 150 and the respiratory rate above 20 per minute. This will initially cause a rise in blood pressure; but this is only temporary as the blood pressure then plummets downward. This condition is a medical emergency and should be handled by professional doctors in a modern clinic or hospital.
HEAT CRAMPS
This condition is prevalent in workers like construction men who are in the open sun. Most of these individuals wear inappropriate dark clothing, refrain from wearing a wide brimmed straw hat; and do not take frequent breaks in the shade from the sweltering heat. This results in heat cramps and must be corrected urgently with electrolyte fluids not just water, like gatorade, powerade or limeade (switcha). Of all conditions this perhaps is most common and least recognized.
HEAT SYNCOPE
Heat syncope is a very unusual condition because the patients’ temperature is usually quite normal and the patient has lost the desire for thirst or the necessity to eat. The symptoms of this condition are: light headedness, fainting spells, and eventually coma. The condition is caused by inadequate body circulation and must be treated by electrolyte fluids and being placed in a cool atmosphere such as air-conditioning.
HEAT EXHAUSTION
This particular condition is primarily due to a severe loss of water and salts. It is more common in the young athlete such as a football player who wears full football gear and therefore sweats excessively without replacing adequately lost fluids. The immediate treatment of this individual is intravenous fluids and electrolytes. One might remember Michael Jordon falling out during a game in which his coach could not lose him. He was sent into the locker room for a quick intravenous. He returned to the game refreshed and won with the last shot.
CONCLUSION
To all my patients on the island of Grand Bahama. Do not be fooled when a little breeze is blowing and you do not feel thirsty. Your body requires some eight glasses of eight ounces of water per day minimal; and on a hot day that should be increased to 10 glasses. Appropriate dressing should be in light, white, cotton and a head covering is a plus. This amount of heat that falls at the back of ones neck has lead the French foreign legion to design a hat with a neck back covering. I now see several Bahamian workers utilizing this design which was originally created by the female pharaoh of Egypt. The two extremes of life; that is persons over 60 years of age and children under two years of age must be emphasized. We hear too often these types of individuals being left in a hot vehicle; summarily demised.
Aman'Ra
By Dr. Roopi
Source: Freeport News/Guardian
