2023-06-18 09:00:00
Keep yourself cool and pay close attention to people around you, emphasizes the Red Cross. Drink enough, no alcohol. Avoid full sun and find a place in the shade. OK, that’s known. But what should you do if things go wrong?
1. Sunburnt
You thought you had put on good sunscreen, but now your skin is sore and red. With a mild burn your skin is slightly red, with a severe burn you even have blisters. If a large area of skin is burned, you may also have a fever and chills.
Get out of the sun. Cool the skin with wet cloths or use a watery after-sun gel. Take or give paracetamol if necessary. Leave blisters whole (do not pop them). And stay out of the sun so your skin can recover.
2. Heat rash
Have you walked for a long time with this heat and do you get small red bumps, usually on the lower legs, in the armpits, back of the knees or on the inside of the upper legs? It’s probably heat rash. This is caused by sweat ducts becoming clogged because the body has difficulty regulating its temperature.
Take a rest and cool with water. Provide shelter and shade. In case of doubt or serious complaints, it is wise to contact your doctor.
3. Heat stroke
If someone after a sunny day looks pale or red, sweats profusely and complains of dizziness, headache, foot cramps and/or nausea? Possibly also incoherent talk? Then someone can have a sunstroke.
Search a cool environment. Take off warm clothes. Put cold compresses or ice cubes in a bag of water on the body (in the groin, under the armpits, on the neck). Does someone suffer from disorders of consciousness, or difficulty breathing? Call 112.
4. Heat exhaustion
Worked out in the full sun, overheated on a festival site? Heat exhaustion often occurs with high temperatures in combination with strenuous exercise. The body temperature rises, but does not exceed 40 degrees. Possible symptoms are: heavy sweating, headache, dizziness, vomiting, muscle cramps and severe fatigue.
Sweating during the 52nd edition of Pinkpop.© ANP
Heat exhaustion can progress to life-threatening heat stroke. What should you do? Place the victim in a cool environment. Provide protection from the sun. Let the victim drink, but make sure it is not too cold. Cool any cramped muscles.
Doesn’t one’s condition get much better after this? Or is someone drowsy, confused, uncoordinated, or does someone suffer from balance disorders? Call 112.
5. Heat stroke
Heat stroke, the most dangerous heat injury, requires immediate intensive medical care. The mortality rate is ten to fifty percent. Dehydration and a high body temperature (sometimes as high as 41 degrees or higher) cause problems with heat regulation in the brain. The skin is often red, but does not sweat.
Possible consequences are: confused behaviour, hallucinations, loss of consciousness, seizures, shock and circulatory arrest. Call or have 112 called if the victim becomes drowsy or confused, is uncoordinated or has balance disorders, the Red Cross reports. Have the victim lie down.
Take the temperature if someone is drowsy or uncoordinated after an endurance exercise (e.g. running race). Does an ear thermometer indicate higher than 36.5 degrees? And is someone pale and clammy? Then immediately cool that person.
Cooling can be done in different ways: soak cloths in water with ice and replace the cloths every two minutes. Put cold packs in the neck, armpits, groin and possibly the back of the knees. Put a fan on wet skin. Spray someone with cold water with a shower head or watering can.
Of course, provide a cool environment and have the victim remove any excess clothing. Or provide shade by holding a rescue blanket over (not on!) the victim.
According to the Red Cross, recognizing signals and acting properly in case of heat ailments can be life-saving.
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