I got hit with heat stroke today...not fun

[chh]

Think of our poor soldiers in Iraq, they must be dying in that horrible heat.

My son was in Afganistan a couple of years ago. Soldiers don't have the luxury of getting to wear light clothing. Typically when on duty it was required that you wear your full BDU's, plus body armour, helmet and generally carry at least some gear and a weapon. When operating out of the Humvee's it was required to keep the windows up(armoured and no a/c). They would literally drink gallons of water a day.

I had actual heat stroke a few years ago. To this day I have to be very careful when working outside. I can at times start to get the "light headed" feeling with very little warning. It has gotten some better the last 4 or 5 years, the first 2 or so afterwards it was very hard to work outside at all.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

I am posting this to possibly keep someone else from getting nailed. I'm 51 & have worked outside my entire life & never had this happen:

I went down in a more controlled manner at the back door, crawled to the fridge, grabbed a cold drink, & had to rest for 5 min before making it into the shower. I ran cold water over me for 20 min or so.

You are very lucky....I'm glad your OK!!!

I have collapsed 3 times by being in the heat.... I'm 42 and i sweat real easy when I'm working in the heat, and i try & drink plenty of water & iced tea.

Last year(age 41) it was very hot & dry here... I was baling hay & it was in the upper 90s with high humidity and i was also pushing myself hard when i got dizzy & blacked out in the field.. Lucky i had someone with me and they rushed me to the hospital, and they told me at the hospital that i was real lucky.

Another time when i was 39 and picking blackberries on a strip-mining job.. I was on a ATV and miles from the nearest house, and i blacked out... I had a small fan mounted on my ATV and i was able to get to it and run the fan on me to help cool me down, and i was sick for days after that..... This also happened to my father-in-law while picking blackberries.

And another time was when i was 33.. I was having my new home built and i wasn't even doing the work, I was just sitting in the sun watching them... I started feeling funny and stood up & blacked out then collapsed, and off to the hospital i went.

After 3 different times of blacking out & collapsing in the heat, the hospital finally ask me last year when this happened if i was taking any kind of medication.... I had been taking "medication for nerve damage in my arm"

I found out that WHILE TAKING THE MEDICATION YOU SHOULD AVOID THE SUN. ...The doctor that put me on the medication never told me to stay out of the sun... and this could have easily killed me the first time, and i don't take that medication anymore.... Anyone taking medication should try and find out ALL SIDE EFFECTS of medication.
________________________

(You said that you ran "cold water" on you for 20 minutes.)

I have always been told that if you get really hot from being in the sun, that you should not get in a cold shower to cool off... I was told that when your body gets really hot and then you get in cold water that your body can cool down to fast, and cause your body to go into shock, seizures and other dangerous side effects.

If i get real hot, I always try and cool down first before i take a cold shower... and also if I feel like I'm getting to hot, then i avoid going into the AC to cool off to quick.

*Thanks for sharing your story! Hopefully it will help someone!

Hope your feeling better today!

 

[MotorSeven]

Tom, your proably right, I interchange the two terms improperly. I don't ever want either one of them again. I rode a Motor (almost) every day in S.FL for 11+ years. I shed my vest after a year and a half-1997-(it made me nauseus) even though the risk of a crash was way higher than getting shot & a vest could very well prevent serious crash injury. I never even came close to this, even at funerals, parades, & other outdoor functions where there there was no place to get out of the sun and straddling an air cooled engine tht just radiated heat. We never even had another guy in the unit get exhaustion or stroke. I've been retired for over 2 years, I still work outside every day on the "farm", but I guess I'm just getting old or..........s.....ss...sof.....(no, I can't say it)


RD

JD4300...no, not on any Meds. I am researching this whole heat thing today, so I will be more prepared in th future. Most of the time ignorance is not bliss, it just gets 'ya killed faster.

 

[Bird]

I have always been told that if you get really hot from being in the sun, that you should not get in a cold shower to cool off... I was told that when your body gets really hot and then you get in cold water that your body can cool down to fast, and cause your body to go into shock, seizures and other dangerous side effects.

If i get real hot, I always try and cool down first before i take a cold shower... and also if I feel like I'm getting to hot, then i avoid going into the AC to cool off to quick.

I'll never forget working in a hospital emergency room over 40 years ago when an ambulance brought in a middle aged unconscious man and they very quickly stripped him, put him into a big tub and buried all but his face in crushed ice. I thought, at the time, that the ice would have killed me. But I didn't stay around to see whether the guy survived or not.

Like you, when I get hot, I come in and sit in front of a fan or under a ceiling fan until I quit sweating before I get in the shower. But I don't wait to come in to the A/C.

 

[LostInTheWoods]

Good to hear everyone here that's run into this turned out OK. Heat plus humidity are not our friends.

Tome Veach posted a good link to heat exhaustion / heat stroke. Emedicine is a good site for medical topics in general.

One more thing to add on heat injuries is "water intoxication". Its rare...I've only seen it once...but mimicks the other injuries (nausea, muscle cramps, confusion, headache, etc). What happens is, you think you're good...been drinking water all day working in the heat (and skipping breakfast and lunch, 'cause there's too much to do). Later in the day, you start to spiral, because you've basically drained yourself of electrolytes - primarily sodium.

So don't skimp too much on meals if you're going to be laboring in the heat.

 

[tallyho8]

Good to hear everyone here that's run into this turned out OK.

That's because those who did not turn out OK can no longer post threads.

Everyone has got to learn their limits while working in the heat and try not to push them. Now that I'm over 60 it is much easier to get heat exhaustion and I take a lot more breaks than I used to. Sure, it takes longer to get things done, but you will live longer to make up for it.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Now this is an area that I'm an expert on. Every day here is 112 - 123 degrees and heat stroke can and does happen often. Hikers that come here die on a regular basis because they do not follow simple rules - WATER, WATER, WATER.

When I know I'm going to be doing a project in the heat I super hydrate the night before- I drink water constantly the night before because I know my body will need this water.

If you get thirsty during work - it's too late you're already dehydrated.

1. Make water a steady part of your everyday diet. Aim for a gallon of fluid a day. If that amount sounds daunting, remember that fruits, vegetables, juices and soups are good sources of fluid as well as traditional water.

Step 2 Check your hydration level by watching your urine. Urine should be light to clear, unless you are taking supplements, which will darken the color for hours after consumption.

Step 3 Drink even before signs of thirst appear. Thirst is a signal that your body is already on the way to dehydration.

Step 4 Drink one to two cups of water at least one hour before the start of your work.

Step 5 Drink four to eight ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise.

Step 6 In one hour of work, the body can lose more than a quart of water, depending on work intensity and air temperature. If you work for more than 60 minutes, in heat start drinking a sports drink, which will replace carbohydrates and electrolytes.

Step 7 After work, drink an additional eight ounces of fluid within 30 minutes after work. If you致e worked intensely for at least 60 minutes, also drink eight ounces of a sports drink.


When I follow these steps and drink all day while working even though I am not thirsty it makes a whole lot of difference in my energy lever during the day and that night.

Remember potassium in either an energy drink or eating bananas as this will prevent cramping in your muscles.

==================
Do not drink coffee, colas, or other drinks that contain caffeine. They increase urine output and make you dehydrate faster.

Avoid high-protein diets. If you are on a high-protein diet, make sure that you drink at least 8 to 12 glasses of water each day.

Do not drink alcohol, including beer and wine. They increase dehydration and make it difficult to make good decisions.

Do not take salt tablets. Most people get plenty of salt in their diets. Use a sports drink if you are worried about replacing minerals lost through sweating.

Stop working outdoors or exercising if you feel dizzy, lightheaded, or very tired

 

[ZetorShaun]

Heat casualties are a part of life in the Army. I just have a small team and we had two guys fall out on a foot patrol Friday in a real bad area. We were about two miles from our MRAPs when it happened and one was the medic. We all ended up running out of water eventually because we were kinda stuck.

Had to carry an extra body armor and the medic's pack back to the MRAPs. That is in addition to my own equipment. Our stuff weighs 90 pounds. We were able to IV both of them and collect enough cash to buy Pepsi from the locals. We had to get the heck out of dodge because mosque was starting up and they were really getting into their standard frenzy.

It was crappy but we train for it during our standard lifesaver course. I am better at giving IVs than getting them. It is really, really hot here. I am glad to do it but ready to be back in the USA, one more month. Stay hydrated farmers!

 

[cowboy357]

Great info Cat_Driver , thanks for taking the time to post .


Also a huge thanks to You Shawn , for the info & Your service as well as the others over there . Great pic BTW . I cant even imagine wearing that kind of gear in any temps & much less the other conditions . Stay safe there & have a safe trip home. Bob

 

[two_bit_score]

Thanks Shaun. Keep up the good work. We appreciate what you do. My son is in Iraq now.