Adventure Doc Hot Weather

I was raised in Southern Arizona. It gets hot down there, really hot. Personally, I like the heat. But, I know how to stay cool and am prepared for the higher temperatures. Some of my friends who are new to hot weather have some troubles with it. This section will help you have a better time if you find yourself in a hot climate.

This is the beginning of your body telling you that it is too hot and dehydrated. Most all problems with being overheated also have a component of dehydration. Your body deals with being overheated in three ways.

This is a more severe version of heat cramps. The cause is the same as heat cramps, a lack of water and that all important electrolyte, sodium (salt). The symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, vomiting, a feeling of lightheadedness and increased body temperature. This is generally caused by people who exercise in the heat and replace their fluid only with water.

This is the advanced form of dehydration and overheating. This is a medical emergency. There are two main types of heatstroke, Classic and exertional. Classic heatstroke generally involves the elderly or disabled person that has a broken air conditioner. They are in a hot environment for days at a time and cannot get someplace cool.

The blood vessels in your skin dilate (get larger in diameter) and release the heat of your body into the air. Your skin also sweats, which cools itself through evaporation. Your skin is the main way your body releases extra heat. Your heart also beats faster and stronger to increase blood supply to the skin, to help release this extra heat. Lastly, your lungs expel a bit more moisture in the breaths you exhale. This helps cool you through evaporation, as well.

Dehydration is often extreme. Exertonial heatstroke occurs in a younger and physically fit population. They are usually not dehydrated and are often wet with sweat. They are simply exerting themselves in the heat and raising their body temperature to a level that is too high to be self-controlled. Both forms feature all the symptoms of heat exhaustion plus changes in mental status (they do not act themselves or appear sleepy).

Remember the story of long distance runners who only drink plain water? They dilute the amount of sodium in their body down and don’t replace it. This is starting to become a medical emergency and requires immediate action. Remove the person from the hot environment (get them someplace cool) and give them a mix of water and electrolyte drink. They should rest and rehydrate for several days, to recover.

Heat cramps are painful contractions of your large muscles groups, such as legs and back. This usually occurs after somebody, who is not used to the heat, exercises in a hot environment. The main problem is that the body sweats a lot, releasing its stores of water and salt (don’t forget that sweat contains a lot of salt). The muscles cramp without the electrolytes like salt/sodium and potassium. To treat this, drink some water and electrolyte mixture and rest in a cooler area.

This is a medical emergency and requires medical treatment. Take this person to a hospital. Immediately remove them from the hot environment and get them some place cool. Get their clothes off and place cool, wet towels on their body. If this is not possible, spray their body with slightly warm water and fan them. This will improve evaporative cooling and work to lower their temperature, quickly.

Hot and very sunny climates take a special toll on your eyes. Sunglasses are a must in the desert. Not only do they protect your eyes from the glare of the sun, but the desert winds frequently blow sand and dust around. This keeps that out of your eyes, too!

Lightweight clothing is the way to go in hot weather. Long sleeves and pants protect you from the sun, which can be very damaging. You also want to make sure that your clothing is loose fitting, to allow plenty of air to circulate around your body. Whites, khaki and tan colors are good, because they stay cooler than some of the darker colors. Another benefit of lightweight clothing is that you can wet the shirt down, either with water or sometimes your own sweat does it for you. What this wet shirt becomes is a personal evaporative cooler for your body.

Sunscreen is a lifesaver. I advise sunscreen to all my friends. Wearing sunscreen can prevent skin cancer. There are a lot of types of sunscreens on the market and they all feature some amount of SPF. SPF stands for sun protection factor and it is based on the number of hours you can wear the sunscreen before it needs to be reapplied. So, a SPF of 15 means that you will be protected by the sunscreen for 15 hours before needing to reapply.

A SPF of 45 gives you 45 hours of protection. I think it is a good idea to reapply sunscreen every few hours and more if you are sweating a lot. Also, reapply after you come out of swimming. Don’t forget to place it on the tops of your ears and use a product for your lips, too. These areas are common sites for skin cancers, as they are frequently forgotten to be protected and still sun exposed. A wide brimmed sun hat is also valuable. Something this is cool and lightweight, hopefully a light color, too.