Did a famous actor die of "heat shock"? Doctors remind: It is easy to happen in winter, so be careful when taking a bath

Recently, Japanese actress Miho Nakayama was found dead in the bathroom. All signs indicate that her life was taken away by "heat shock". This kind of accidental injury is prone to occur in winter, so we need to be vigilant!

1. What is shock?

Shock is caused by a sharp drop in effective circulating blood volume and severe lack of blood perfusion to tissues, which leads to functional, metabolic disorders and structural damage to important organs.

In simple terms, if the human body is compared to a city, then the blood vessels are like the water pipes in the city. When certain reasons cause a lack of water in the water circulation system, the city of the human body becomes completely paralyzed, and this is shock.

Common causes of shock include severe blood loss, extensive burns, severe infection, etc. In clinical practice, there is a type of shock caused by increased temperature, such as heat stroke and heat shock.

2. What is the difference between heat shock and heat stroke?

Although both are caused by heat, the pathogenesis of heat stroke and heat shock is different.

Heatstroke is caused by prolonged exposure to a high temperature and airtight environment, which results in excessive heat in the body, massive sweat loss, and dysfunction of the body's temperature regulation center, leading to high fever, dizziness, headache, confusion, etc. In severe cases, it can lead to multiple organ failure and even death. Heatstroke often occurs in midsummer.

Heat shock is caused by a sudden change in ambient temperature, which leads to large fluctuations in blood pressure and puts a great burden on the body. It may cause serious symptoms such as fainting, arrhythmia, cerebral stroke, myocardial infarction, aortic dissection, and even death in severe cases. The incidence of heat shock is very high in winter.

3. Why does heat shock become a “winter killer ” ?

When bathing in winter, moving from a warm room to a cold dressing room (bathroom) and then entering a hot tub, the body is subjected to such a drastic temperature change of " warm → cold → warm ", which sometimes causes severe symptoms

When entering a cold space from a warm environment, the blood vessels of the human body will narrow to prevent the blood flowing under the skin from being cooled, thereby reducing blood flow. When blood vessels narrow, blood pressure will rise. On the contrary, when the body enters a high temperature environment again, blood vessels will expand, blood flow will speed up, and blood pressure will drop. Fragile blood vessels are like water pipes that experience rapid cooling and heating. Once they exceed the contraction range of muscle fibers, rupture and blockage are inevitable. The greater the temperature difference between hot and cold, the greater the blood pressure fluctuation, and the greater the damage to the body.

Places where heat shock is prone to occur are mostly indoors where there is a large temperature difference between inside and outside. However, please note that there is one situation where heat shock symptoms may also occur. When you defecate forcefully, your blood pressure will rise. After defecation, your blood pressure will drop sharply, and the resulting blood pressure fluctuations may also cause heat shock.

4. People with vascular-related diseases are more susceptible to heat shock

The onset of heat shock is mainly due to drastic fluctuations in blood pressure and rapid contraction and expansion of blood vessels, which lead to adverse consequences. Therefore, most of the people who suffer from heat shock have vascular-related diseases, such as arteriosclerosis, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia, hyperuricemia, the elderly, and people with bad living habits.

Therefore, people with these underlying diseases need to be especially careful!

5. Keep three points in mind to prevent "heat shock "

To prevent heat shock, the following points are recommended:

1. Eliminate temperature differences between environments: Install small heaters in places that feel very cold, such as locker rooms (where you take off your clothes), corridors, and toilets. The bathroom can be preheated in advance.

2. Do not take a bath immediately after a meal or after drinking: After a meal, blood will gather in the digestive organs to digest food, and blood pressure will drop slightly; alcohol has the effect of dilating blood vessels, and blood pressure will drop during and after drinking. At this time, taking a bath in hot water over 42°C may cause a temporary surge in blood pressure, violent fluctuations, and heat shock. Therefore, it is recommended to take a short rest one hour after a meal or after drinking before taking a bath.

3. Inform people around you as much as possible before taking a bath in the cold winter: Early patients with heat shock may experience dizziness, chest tightness, chest pain, etc. If people around you can discover it in time, the occurrence of adverse prognosis can be minimized.

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