I feel dizzy from the heat! Is it heat stroke or heat stroke?

As we all know, we can now enjoy a sauna for free. This summer is so hot that even though we come from a poor family, we can still be "killed by the heat"!

What? Can a living person be killed by heat? This is not sensational. Currently, there are more than 100 weather stations in China with temperatures exceeding 40°C, and countless 38°C and 39°C. I am not telling you a joke to cool you down. Just look at these news and you will know that "heat death" is definitely scientifically based.

Deaths due to high temperatures

Three people died of heat stroke in Nanchong, Sichuan

A hospital in Nanchong, Sichuan, received more than 10 patients with heat stroke in a week, and three of them died after failed rescue efforts.

A worker in a workshop in Zhejiang died of heat stroke and organ failure

The worker suddenly fainted while working in the workshop. His body temperature was 40.7℃ when he was admitted to the hospital. He was in shock and died after 31 hours of rescue.

An old man died of heatstroke due to a broken air conditioner

Mr. Li, a 60-year-old man from Hangzhou, suffered heat stroke due to not turning on the air conditioner. His body temperature reached 42°C, and his brain, liver, kidneys and other organs were damaged. He died despite rescue efforts.

A construction worker in Xi'an died of heat stroke

The construction worker's daughter revealed that her father worked for 9 hours in a high temperature and high humidity environment and fell ill on his way home from work. He was sent to the hospital for treatment but to no avail.

What everyone is most worried about during hot weather is definitely heat stroke. You must be familiar with these symptoms of heat stroke. Heat stroke! Is it a small matter? Just take a rest for a while? Mild heat stroke is indeed not a big deal, but if it develops into "heat stroke", it may be fatal! Let's first take a look at the symptoms of different degrees of heat stroke.

Symptoms of heat stroke

1. Premonitory symptoms: dizziness, nausea, thirst, sweating, and slightly elevated body temperature.

2. Mild symptoms: pale complexion, cold and clammy limbs, decreased blood pressure, increased pulse, and body temperature >38°C.

3. Severe symptoms: high fever, coma, unclear consciousness, body temperature >40℃.

There is only a fine line between heat stroke and heat stroke! So what is heat stroke? How is it different from heat stroke? To put it bluntly, heat stroke is actually severe heat stroke. The most obvious difference between heat stroke and heat stroke is body temperature. The body temperature of simple heat stroke is difficult to reach 40℃, while the body temperature of heat stroke is above 40℃. Excessive body temperature can cause human protein denaturation. Therefore, heat stroke will have more fatal symptoms, and the mortality rate of patients is as high as 20-70%; the mortality rate depends on the physiological condition of the patient before being sent to the hospital. If it is not handled in time, the consequences will be disastrous.

Symptoms of heat stroke

1. Increased body temperature: The patient's core body temperature is mostly above 40°C.

2. Central nervous system symptoms: delirium, drowsiness, epileptic seizures, coma, bizarre behavior, hallucinations, opisthotonos, decerebrate rigidity, etc.

3. Other symptoms: headache, nausea, redness and fever of the skin, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, muscle cramps or weakness.

How should we "fight back" against heat stroke, which has such a high mortality rate?

Prevention and treatment are not difficult. As long as we actively do the following, we can take effective treatment measures and greatly reduce the risk of death among patients with heat stroke.

1. Environmental transfer: Move the patient to a cool and ventilated place and lie him down. Elevate his head and loosen his clothes to facilitate his breathing and heat dissipation.

2. Cool down as quickly as possible: use wet towels, ice bags, ice cubes, and fans to help the patient cool down.

3. Help blood circulation: Elevating the patient's feet can help venous return and relieve shock and coma.

4. Seek medical treatment promptly: Dial 120 while receiving treatment, and professional emergency doctors will observe and treat.

In fact, the key to reducing the death rate from heat stroke is prevention. The most effective preventive measure is to avoid staying in high temperature (high humidity) and unventilated environments for too long, and to reduce and avoid the risk factors for heat stroke. At the same time, you should drink more water, ensure adequate rest, and avoid dehydration, thereby reducing the incidence and mortality of heat stroke. With the "Heat Stroke Prevention and Treatment Guide" in hand, I believe everyone can safely get through this hot summer!

(Author: Chen Mengying, Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital; Reviewer: Zhu Huiting)