By Carolyn Brown Treadon
Last week, we discussed heat exhaustion. This week, we are covering heat stroke, if left untreated can become life threatening.
As mentioned last week, heat exhaustion is a condition whose symptoms may include heavy sweating and a rapid pulse, a result of your body overheating. Typically, the symptoms can be reduced by cooling off out of the sun, hydrating, using cool compresses to bring the temperature down and loosening clothing.
Heatstroke is a condition caused by your body overheating, usually as a result of prolonged exposure to or physical exertion in high temperatures. According to the Center for Disease Control, heat stroke occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body’s temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106 degrees or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.
Untreated heatstroke can quickly damage your brain, heart, kidneys and muscles. The damage worsens the longer treatment is delayed, increasing your risk of serious complications or death. Recovery from heat stroke can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks or even months, depending on the severity of the heat stroke and individual health factors.
Even through school is starting back for many, there are still plenty of days s to get out and enjoy the water! If you do go out, remember to pack plenty of cool drinking water, apply sun screen and cool off as often as possible to avoid risk of heat related illness.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident. Knowing when to call it a day and get back to shade and cooler temperatures can be a life-saver!
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.