Heat emergencies...

Chat about surviving, preventing, and being prepared for emergencies in the Outdoors
chad
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby chad » Sat Jun 02, 2012 8:48 am

dan wrote:Has anyone here had issues with heat problems? Or helped others with heat emergancys?


I'm pretty sensitive to heat, which is why i dislike it so much. even staying hydrated the heat just gets to me........


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Swampthing
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Swampthing » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:05 am

I brought a buddy out fishing a while back it was dead calm, no wind and sweltering. Hot! I think it reached 92° that day. I told him to pack plenty of water for the day. Well turned out after he filled his mini-cooler with beer there wasn't any room for water. We arrived at the lake at about 10:00 am and I think he had already had a few. And around 1:00 he starts talking funny and kept asking over and over again, the same question. " Why do I sound like im drunk but im not? I told him drink some water. No he cracks another cold one instead. Then he kept saying " Im sober enough to know im not drunk but why don't my mouth work right? So then he tries to move to another spot on the boat almost falls out. I say enough is enough! We're going home. We get to the shore and he says he'll jump out to pull the boat ashore. And falls head first into 2 feet of water right over the side.
I get him to the car make him drink some water and made it home. Then he argues with me about driving himself home. I pulled his keys gave him some more water and put him to bed on my couch at about 3:00 pm.
I kept checking on him, through the night. And finally the next day he wakes up at around 12:00. He had slept like 20 hours. He's lucky I was fishing with him or I don't think it woulda survived that one.

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BigHunt
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby BigHunt » Sat Jun 02, 2012 9:06 am

chad wrote:
dan wrote:Has anyone here had issues with heat problems? Or helped others with heat emergancys?


I'm pretty sensitive to heat, which is why i dislike it so much. even staying hydrated the heat just gets to me........


yes i have, ive had a mild heat stroke and now im even more prone to it ...its really hot were i work, sometimes it can reach high temps of 130 degrees :shock: during the summer i have a hard time staying hydrated, the company gives up electrolight pills but they don't seem to work, i drink water all day .....i know my limits when it comes to heat......some nights ill wake up in the middle of the night screaming because my legs are cramping or my inner thighs......then my whole body will go into this cramping mode and i just brake out in a sweat...every pour on my body will be just sweating ALOT to were its dripping off my arms and legs...... :lol: but thats when its really bad
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Singing Bridge
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Singing Bridge » Sat Jun 02, 2012 1:03 pm

I've lost count of how many heat emergency patients I have treated over the last 30+ years... and yes, I've had heat exhaustion myself. Its really important to recognize when you are overdoing it... if you are sweating profusely and things are getting a little "fuzzy" mentally, you need to back down in a hurry from the activity that caused it. If you continue and it leads into heat stroke and possible seizures (or worse), you are cooking countless brain cells.

I see a lot of heat emergencies at sporting events, both spectators and players. When residents of assisted living homes are being bussed in to the local affiliate of a big league ball team for a game on a day that is going to exceed ninety degrees... I don't even know what to say about that. :shock: I do know that we get very busy in a hurry at EMS.

I also see a lot of patients that go outside on very hot days and think they can work as hard and as long as they did twenty years ago... NADA!!

Keep it cool, folks...
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby whitetail007 » Sat Jun 02, 2012 2:55 pm

i almost died once from the heat. i got dizzy and dropped like a rock. 100 degree day working on a flat roof, i stopped sweating and got the chills. before i knew it i was waking up with wet towels over me. now i get sick and puke if i start to over heat. this is the reason i hate summer, id rather be freezing cold than even a bit hot. it took me days to recover after that day on the roof.
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby dan » Sun Jun 03, 2012 1:26 am

i get sick and puke if i start to over heat. this is the reason i hate summer

Same with me...
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby BigHunt » Sun Jun 03, 2012 3:49 am

dan wrote:
i get sick and puke if i start to over heat. this is the reason i hate summer

Same with me...

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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Stanley » Sun Jun 03, 2012 4:22 am

Zap wrote:Hot and humid yesterday. 90%+ and 90+ degrees.

I guess I overworked in the sun and heat, despite lotsa H2O, a few gatoraids and bannanas, 2 hrs after getting home it hit me. :(

I had to go to the ER for an "oil change".

Dehydrated and low sodium electrolyte.

3 bags of saline helped as did the painkillers. :)

I guess I need to be more careful.

marty

Man Marty I hate to hear that. Another thing I catch myself doing is acting like I'm 25 (not saying, but thinking). I'm sitting here typing this with ice on my back. Have been overdoing it a little. Stuff I easily did when I was younger puts me down now. Starting an ornery chainsaw started it all with my back. Glad to hear you are doing ok. Dean Bower lost his 19 year old son that was fit as can be to heat stroke last year. I still think about it and feel very terrible for him.

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whitetail007
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby whitetail007 » Sun Jun 03, 2012 7:39 am

We spend our health for wealth, then spend our wealth for health.[/quote]

100% truth there.
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:15 am

The bad thing about heat exhaustion is that when you are starting to show symptoms, its too late to hydrate. Headache, vomiting, feeling of weakness, cramping, chills, disorientation, slurred speech, cool clammy skin. You are already in trouble. Call the day off, get into the shade, or indoors, loosen tight clothing, rest, drink only water, NOT gatorade or those other sports drinks. They are very high in fructose which will do you no good. In most cases, if you can identify symptoms right away, you can prevent heat exhaustion from getting worse by doing those things. Many people people fail to recognize it and that can be dangerous. A good way also to replenish electrolytes is a can of chicken noodle soup. If you are planning to be outside for long periods of time in the heat, or even cold, begin hydrating a week before. Stay away from alcohol and soda/energy drinks. Water is your best bet.
Last edited by Crazinamatese on Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:21 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:19 am

dan wrote:According to my 1st responder instructer, Once you have had heat exhaustion you are more susceptable to it in the future.

This is 100% true.
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Sun Aug 12, 2012 5:38 am

dan wrote:Has anyone here had issues with heat problems? Or helped others with heat emergancys?

Yes, several while in the Army Infantry. Most of the heat casualties I have seen started with either vomiting, or fainting. Usually the symptoms were already there, but many guys try to suck it up and then eventually succumb to it a short time later by passing out or puking. Never seen any deaths due to it. But have seen guys get real messed up from it. We usually had a medic with us or a guy in the squad trained with CLS (combat life saver) training that can put in an IV of lactated ringers and provide proper care. I never had been a full blown heat casualty before, but came close in 2004 at Camp Shelby MS during an obstacle course exercise in 90+ degree temps with extremely high humidity. I got very light headed, and my heart was beating irregularly fast. That was the same year about 4 of our guys went down with heat exhaustion in about 45 minutes during training. I have noticed the chances for heat exhaustion go way up when the humidity is very high. It literally sucks the water out of your body.
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Re: Heat emergancies...

Unread postby justdirtyfun » Wed Aug 20, 2014 5:25 am

Friendly reminder guys. Watch that heat.

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Re: Heat emergencies...

Unread postby Ruger » Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:20 am

Happened to me this weekend.

Slight dizziness, tingling in my hands and feet, rapid short breathing, HOT. I put bags of ice under my armpits and behind my neck and it was flowing water from melting so quickly when it touched my skin. Drank two big bottles of Gatorade and put the air condition on in the truck. After about 15 minutes (when temp came down) I was freezing so bad my teeth were chattering and it was 90+ outside.

Not a good feeling. It has happened three times in 5 years and each time I say I won't go in the woods in August!
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Re: Heat emergencies...

Unread postby Crazinamatese » Wed Aug 20, 2014 10:40 am

Ruger wrote:Happened to me this weekend.

Slight dizziness, tingling in my hands and feet, rapid short breathing, HOT. I put bags of ice under my armpits and behind my neck and it was flowing water from melting so quickly when it touched my skin. Drank two big bottles of Gatorade and put the air condition on in the truck. After about 15 minutes (when temp came down) I was freezing so bad my teeth were chattering and it was 90+ outside.

Not a good feeling. It has happened three times in 5 years and each time I say I won't go in the woods in August!


Thats scary stuff there. Just an FYI, gatorade really doesn't help much. Gatorade has too much sugar. Sipping, not chugging water is the best you can do. Once you are showing the symptoms of dehydration, its a little to late to try to re-hydrate. Get in some shade or indoors to cool down and loosen tight clothing. Call 911 if you have to. Its tough when you are alone when this strikes. Having someone there to reassure can help alot too.
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