Heat exhaustion

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Tuesday, I needed to finish harvesting the Garlic...It was Hot and humid, I don't recall the numbers, but it was hot. I'd stop every so often and rest in the shade and drink some water. A storm was predicted for either that evening or the next day, so I wanted to get that done.

I also wanted to empty the rain barrels, I use 5 gallon buckets and carry the water to fruit trees. When I was done, I was so tired I could hardly walk and my muscles were crapping up. I knew what was going on, so I quit working, drank some water and then went to bed. Besides the sore muscle, I had "all over" body aches and had the Chills and the sweats...all night long. I'd sleep some, but I was up every couple hours to drink water and go to the bathroom.

Wednesday, I wake up. I still feel awful, chills/sweats and not hungry at all. I lay around all day taking Ibuprofen for the sore muscles. Sleeping a little, here and there, til about midnight last night, after a rainstorm hours earlier, I was able to open the windows, felt good enough to sleep through the rest of the night. I still have some sore mucles, I must have worked harder than I thought, but am glad the chills/sweats and body aches are gone.

That'll learn me

[Doc Highwall]

Hope you are feeling better soon.

[HarryT]

You've got to be careful. We had a hiker (50 year old man) die of heat exhaustion in 92 degree weather. His internal body temperature was 109. Soaking in a tub of cold water would make you feel better, keep your head cool. The brain can't stand much above 105 degrees.

[MrWolf]

We have been in the middle of a heat wave here also. Been working outside to get house ready for sale. I can only work for a few hours due to back but you can still feel it. Make sure you wear a brimmed hat, really makes a difference and of course hydrate. Glad you are feeling better.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Humidity makes a big difference in two ways, and when any factor in life applies in two ways, the result can get serious.

Firstly evaporation cools the skin, and there is most evaporation when the humidity is low. Secondly in extremely dry air you can feel fine while far more moisture evaporates than you can afford. In high humidity you simply get covered in warm sweat and feel so miserable you have to stop. In Riyadh I once walked nine miles into town in comfort when the temperature was about 115 Fahrenheit, getting away with it purely because it was on a well planned route from cold drink to cold drink. On the coast where humidity can drip from the trees in the morning, only some dire emergency could have made me do a quarter of that.

Then a psychological factor comes into play. With the heat illnesses, like hypothermia, one of the common symptoms is badly impaired judgment, and you feel fine when you aren't. In particular reduced sweating can be reassuring, when it is really because you don't have the fluid to do it with any more.

Many of the symptoms occur because with fluid loss the blood is thickened, and doesn't circulate well through the fine capillaries, including those of the brain. These symptoms can include headaches, dizziness, numbness and cramps. Again there are parallels with the numbness that occurs through cold, although in this case the body closes down a lot of the capillaries to stop the circulatory system losing too much heat from the body core.

[jsizemore]

You can wash the sodium out of your system by sweating and drinking nothing but water. I drink half a Gatorade morning and afternoon to replace those depleted minerals to keep the cramps and muscle soreness away.

[crowbuster]

You can wash the sodium out of your system by sweating and drinking nothing but water. I drink half a Gatorade morning and afternoon to replace those depleted minerals to keep the cramps and muscle soreness away.

100% correct. Salt desolved in water will help. coconut water is good as well. Water just isn't enough. Get better quick jonb. It can really take the wind off your sails.

[DLCTEX]

We had a woman die in Paloduro Canyon recently while hiking on a day that temps reached 114* in the canyon bottom. Dr. said she would have neened to drink a gallon of waster an hour at her age and weight to prevent it. If it's that hot I'm not going.

[bangerjim]

So many people are on this low/no sodium thing! The human body needs around 2000mg of sodium/day to function properly. Minimum is around 500. More when you are sweating a lot. I remember back during HS sports practices we were given salt pills!

I ended up in the ER about 4 years ago from dehydration working out in the front yard in the mid 80F's and bone dry humidity. Does not take high heat! My heart went to 160BPM and would not come down. Finally after pumping me full of a bunch of carp and saline, it came down to normal 65. They were ready to take me to the cath lab and burn out nerves in my heart!

Stay hydrated. WELL hydrated. And keep your electrolyte intake in mind. Do not drink just water.

At least with all that garlic, you know you were not bitten by a vampire!!!!!! :shock:

Feel better!

[Freightman]

I do all my work before lunch as after it will be close to 100+ I am only 30 miles from Palo Duro Canyon where she died.

[GRUMPA]

I can't even work outside this time of year, not for any length of time anyway. I was in the shop running the lathe at 5:30am, it was 83deg in the shop, when I got done 3 1/2hrs later it was 92deg in the shop. The high here was 100.4deg and I live at 6K' just outside a big mountain range, so it gets tough here this time of year.

I live on solar so don't suggest I turn on the A/C, we use a swamp cooler for the house which is 70.7deg with 68% humidity right now.

[runfiverun]

if your drinking Gatorade you need to cut it with water or it's too concentrated to really do a lot of good.
water before halfway through and after a bottle of that stuff will allow your body to actually absorb the nutrients and put them to use.
the biggest killer on the trek west was getting sick from the heat and then losing more water from their system due to the flu like symptoms.
a glass of water with 2 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt each day would have saved hundreds or thousands of lives on that trek.
the majority of the deaths occurred to the [harder working] men bringing their family's to Utah.
this caused an overly disproportionate amount of women that struggled to care for themselves and their children when they got to the wild wide open valleys.
this was the reason for polygamy being instituted, it was to save their lives and make things easier on everybody.

[xs11jack]

If you feel a little weak and maybe light headed get inside and lay down and hydrate with R5R's salt and sugar formula. If you have a blood pressure machine, take your pressure and if it is less that 90 over about 50, you may want to go to the ER to get hydrated quickly. Age is another consideration, old codgers will dehydrate much faster than someone under 40 or so. A Doc told me that with blood pressure under 90/50 and being older, you could provoke a heart attack even if you are considered in good health. Please be careful out there. And jonb, I hope you recover well.
Ole Jack

[cainttype]

Some swear by Pedialyte. I've used it for heat and illness related issues in the past, and it works well (especially for illness caused stomach problems).
Gatoraid, Poweraid, and other sports related drinks are often recommended over Pedialyte for excercise induced stress... While water is always beneficial when heat is the main culprit.

Personally, I use mostly water with Sports drinks added every once in a while. I spend a LOT of time in heat and high humidity, so I'm extra careful about ANY slight dizziness, increased heart rate, or lack of perspiration... So far, I've avoided any major issues.

[Poygan]

Over 30 years ago I read in a runner's magazine they recommended a mixture of half water and half canned tomato juice. That supposedly provided the sodium and potassium needed to replenish the electrolytes. I think I recall sugar was also not the best item in a rehydrating drink.

[slim1836]

I've had similar issues. Was eating at a steak house in east Texas 3 weeks ago and fell out and was unresponsive for about 15 minutes. Three EMT's were there eating and came to my aid along with the Volunteer Fire Dept. and ambulance thereafter. Even had a helo on call. I refused the ambulance and got some Gatorade on the way back to camp followed with water and rest.

Followed up with a Dr. visit to my primary care doc, then to my heart doc. EKG, Sonogram on my neck surgery and heart, and a CT scan today. Wearing a heart monitor for the next 30 days also.

Still kicking and going to work, just slowing down a bit. Life is good.

Slim

[dragon813gt]

Been there before. It's been awhile since I got to the point of chills. And it's scary if reach that point. I had the cramping back in May. On a roof all day in the sun and just didn't drink enough water. Nothing like being sound asleep and waking up because it feels like someone is stabbing you in your legs.

It's been hot here for well over a week now. And I've been on a roof every day. 95 degrees w/ 70%+ relative humidity is just oppressive. Ended up w/ a headache today because I didn't drink enough water. But it's hard to when you can't bring any food/drink into the plant. I'm not allowed access to the cafeteria and it takes fifteen minutes to get through all the security doors to my van. It's honestly easier to get onto a military base then it is to get into a pharmaceutical plant.

[richhodg66]

I've always had a much better tolerance for heat than cold. Grew up in the deep south where it was hot and humid most of the time. In all the 24 years in the Army in places like Fort Bliss, Fort Irwin and the Middle East, where it literally will top 130 degrees in Summer, I never went down as a heat casualty. But here lately (the big 50th birthday seemed to trigger a lot of weaknesses) I seem to not be dealing with it as well as I used to.

Stay in the shade and drink a lot of cool (not ice cold) water. I've always heard that if you're eating a decent diet, you don't need to worry much about electrolyte replacement, but a Gatorade or similar now and then can't hurt. I kind of like the idea of the diluted tomato juice, think I'll give that a try.

[Hogtamer]

For the cramps, drink a couple of tablespoons of the juice from a jar of dill pickles....quick relief. If you wait til you're really thirsty it's too late to avoid a measure of dehydration. yes to the gatorade and such, but before you have worked up a thirst.

[Teddy (punchie)]

You can not cool down too fast. Drink and eat a good breakfast. Drink one 40 to 45 oz of water for ever hour of heavy work in the sun. Lemon water with just a little salt. Sport drinks. 45 mins of work and 15 mins of break. We try to do this in the hay fields.

[crowbuster]

I've always had a much better tolerance for heat than cold. Grew up in the deep south where it was hot and humid most of the time. In all the 24 years in the Army in places like Fort Bliss, Fort Irwin and the Middle East, where it literally will top 130 degrees in Summer, I never went down as a heat casualty. But here lately (the big 50th birthday seemed to trigger a lot of weaknesses) I seem to not be dealing with it as well as I used to.

Stay in the shade and drink a lot of cool (not ice cold) water. I've always heard that if you're eating a decent diet, you don't need to worry much about electrolyte replacement, but a Gatorade or similar now and then can't hurt. I kind of like the idea of the diluted tomato juice, think I'll give that a try.
Just the opposite for me rich. Always loved the cold, not so much the heat. I can put enough on to keep warm but not take off enough to cool down. I to have noticed more effects from the heat as I topped the 50. It's just tellin us to work smarter not harder. Some days I still struggle with that. HAHA

[Ballistics in Scotland]

the biggest killer on the trek west was getting sick from the heat and then losing more water from their system due to the flu like symptoms.
a glass of water with 2 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt each day would have saved hundreds or thousands of lives on that trek.
the majority of the deaths occurred to the [harder working] men bringing their family's to Utah.
this caused an overly disproportionate amount of women that struggled to care for themselves and their children when they got to the wild wide open valleys.
this was the reason for polygamy being instituted, it was to save their lives and make things easier on everybody.

Mormon polygamy was instituted on the banks of the Mississippi, in Nauvoo Illinois, and persisted for a good many cool years in Salt Lake City. Some 20 to 25% of Mormon families practiced it, and many others had to practice bachelorhood. Missionaries concentrated on replenishing the supply of single females, and
were told by the leadership to stop picking the prettiest ones for themselves on the trip back.

Salt loss is indeed a health hazard, and adding a salt content to the liquids used in rehydration is worth doing. But salt content is slower to go wrong and slower to put right. Sugar is the fastest way of giving the body energy through food. But it is water that is really urgent in treating the heat illnesses.

[w5pv]

Plus one on the pickle juice.

[WRideout]

When my National Guard battalion trained at Dugway, Utah in 1988, the temperatures were not all that high, maybe in the high 80's but the humidity was so low it would suck the water right out of your body. We had a bath and laundry unit where I showered every three days. By the time I changed my uniform, the salt from perspiration had made them stiff, like starch. I was definitely trying to get enough salt in my diet. I turned my back when my driver tried to dig a hole once, and when turned around again, he was already down with heat exhaustion. You almost can't drink enough water in those circumstances.
Wayne

[Wayne Smith]

Nobody has mentioned our kidneys. The older we get the less efficient they are at cleaning the blood and, in extreme conditions like heat, the poisons buildup in the body. Heat stroke is the next step after heat exhaustion, when the brain is poisoned and part of it dies. Take care of yourselves, guys. We are not 20 any more!

[MrWolf]

Heh, I resemble that remark. I am almost three 20's. I cannot take the cold at all, give me heat anytime - with water of course and a fan. I don't like AC either. Can't breathe in it.

[William Yanda]

Careful there! Once subject to heat injury, you are more susceptible in the future. Electrolytes, hydration, rest and cool off are proper remedies.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I guess I should have logged in yesterday afternoon and read some of the responses and about salt and gatorade. because flu like symtoms never really ceased yesterday...maybe for a few hours before Bed and ate a little food, but then started in again...continuing til about an hour ago. This morning, I put a pot of coffee on, but after reading here I won't be drinking that now...I am now sipping some gatorade/water 50-50.


if your drinking Gatorade you need to cut it with water or it's too concentrated to really do a lot of good.
water before halfway through and after a bottle of that stuff will allow your body to actually absorb the nutrients and put them to use.
the biggest killer on the trek west was getting sick from the heat and then losing more water from their system due to the flu like symptoms.
a glass of water with 2 tsp of sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt each day would have saved hundreds or thousands of lives on that trek.
the majority of the deaths occurred to the [harder working] men bringing their family's to Utah.
this caused an overly disproportionate amount of women that struggled to care for themselves and their children when they got to the wild wide open valleys.
this was the reason for polygamy being instituted, it was to save their lives and make things easier on everybody.

[KAF]

When working in the foundry pouring iron, staying hydrated with water or anything with water in it, and take some citric acid tablets would get me thru the hot humid days. A wet towel around my neck helped too. You get plenty of salt and potassium in foods you eat, do not over do salt.

[popper]

Does not take high heat! My heart went to 160BPM and would not come down My first episode ever with afib came after washing down some brick walls in 2002. HB of 200 and had to get electroverted - chems didn't do the job. Your head heats and cools pretty quick but the gut doesn't, permanent damage can occur. A pinch of salt in H2O will prevent the bloated feeling - Gatoraid stuff has too much salt & sugar. Popsicles work good as does the cool wet towel on the neck. Beer & caffeine are bad in over-heat state.

[leadman]

We have had over 25 days of temperature in excess of 110 degrees. Humidity is going up now but earlier in the summer it was very low at around 6%.
We have had at least 6 deaths and probably more here in the Phoenix area alone.
I am working on the motorhome for a planned trip to Michigan. Got outside at about 5:30 this morning and quit at 10:00 am, I'm whooped. After I recover some I'll put the tow dolly in my air conditioned garage to look it over.

[Polecat]

I'm 75 and have ended up in the hospital twice in the last four years for dehydration. when you get older things that you used to sluff off will sneak up on you. I try to be aware of any signs they can be very sneaky. Good luck

[MaryB]

I came in from working in the garden today and promptly drank a 16 oz cup of V8. It has the salt, potassium, magnesium etc to stave off muscle cramps. And I had pushed it and was so soggy I could wring out my tank top... didn't eat much for supper but feel better now, just tired and that is from working harder than I should with my broken body! But 4 rows of garden are prepped for the fall veggies to be planted soon as I have time. Start more lettuce, radishes, peas round two, spinach... I will have 2 1/2 more empty rows after I clean out the lettuce that is bolting... need ideas for what to put there that will grow in 2 months...


Over 30 years ago I read in a runner's magazine they recommended a mixture of half water and half canned tomato juice. That supposedly provided the sodium and potassium needed to replenish the electrolytes. I think I recall sugar was also not the best item in a rehydrating drink.

[nicholst55]

So many people are on this low/no sodium thing! The human body needs around 2000mg of sodium/day to function properly. Minimum is around 500. More when you are sweating a lot. I remember back during HS sports practices we were given salt pills!

I ended up in the ER about 4 years ago from dehydration working out in the front yard in the mid 80F's and bone dry humidity. Does not take high heat! My heart went to 160BPM and would not come down. Finally after pumping me full of a bunch of carp and saline, it came down to normal 65. They were ready to take me to the cath lab and burn out nerves in my heart!

Stay hydrated. WELL hydrated. And keep your electrolyte intake in mind. Do not drink just water.

At least with all that garlic, you know you were not bitten by a vampire!!!!!! :shock:

Feel better!

I had a similar experience three years ago, cutting grass on a 'mild' 90-degree day here in Yuma - with high humidity (for us, anyway). I ended up in the ER with atreal fibulation and flutter, although my heart beat did stabilize after the paramedics got two liters of fluids into me. I learned my lesson!

[Mauser48]

I know what you mean. I used to get sick from just short amounts of time in the heat. I have discovered that you have to drink a LOT of eater.DUH! Last weekend I went hunting and it was around 104° in the hottest part of the day I drank around 3 liters of water a day and I did fine. The day before I left to go hunting I drank that amount too so the next day I didn't need to make up for water I didn't drink the day before. It is good to have a little Gatorade too. Not too much because it had salt.

[MaryB]

Actually unless it grows with salt in it I do not get enough from food. I cook from scratch every meal using fresh or frozen veg I put up... I use very very few prepared foods




When working in the foundry pouring iron, staying hydrated with water or anything with water in it, and take some citric acid tablets would get me thru the hot humid days. A wet towel around my neck helped too. You get plenty of salt and potassium in foods you eat, do not over do salt.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Actually unless it grows with salt in it I do not get enough from food. I cook from scratch every meal using fresh or frozen veg I put up... I use very very few prepared foods


My doctor was checking my dad one day, as his doctor was out of town , same office. I take my dad as he had a stroke.

Any way doc talked about salt for him and said it can kill him he better watch out and listen, Robert let him have it.

So I was there and being his son and my doctor, he informed me as long as I eat one processed food a day that is enough salt. I ??? as he knows we bale hay, small squares 5,000 to 6,000 a year. In return make sure you balance your diet. Cal. Mag. Zinc, and take a good balance vitamins.

60 day green beans.

Turnips,

Others greens some will take the frost.

[MaryB]

Yeah days like today with 70% humidity... I could taste the salt in the sweat running off my face... and I am craving salt tonight so made popcorn. My body tells me what I need and I listen. If I am hungry for something salty I need something salty... in winter I tend to crave sweets more for the calories to fight MN cold...

[Col4570]

For 22 years my job involved working in high temperatures.Sealing live steam leaks.One time in the 1980s during a heat wave we had a particularly long day on a Power Plant Boiler Tops.The job was urgent so we worked through without a break for several hours.Driving home that evening I suddenly went dizzy followed by complete deafness.I pulled in to the roadside and could,nt hear a thing.I sat in the grass drank some bottled water and eventualy my sight came clear and I was able to hear again.I put it down to Heat Exhaustion.The following Day I was like a Zombie until my strength came back.

[shoot-n-lead]

For 22 years my job involved working in high temperatures.Sealing live steam leaks.One time in the 1980s during a heat wave we had a particularly long day on a Power Plant Boiler Tops.The job was urgent so we worked through without a break for several hours.Driving home that evening I suddenly went dizzy followed by complete deafness.I pulled in to the roadside and could,nt hear a thing.I sat in the grass drank some bottled water and eventualy my sight came clear and I was able to hear again.I put it down to Heat Exhaustion.The following Day I was like a Zombie until my strength came back.

I expect that was frightening and a teachable moment.

[Col4570]

In my younger days in the Merchant Marine we would take Salt Tablets to combat the heat.Those who have experienced Ships Engine rooms will know the temperature can get high especialy when east of Suez.Those tablets I remember gave us indigestion so we would combat it with plenty of Beer (our excuse).Looking Back most of my working life involved working in high heat and humidity.Noel Cowards song " Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday sun"could have a relevance to this subject.

[Col4570]

I expect that was frightening and a teachable moment.
Yes at the time I thought the worse and wasn't quite clear what was happening.Regards.

[Col4570]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcBr3rosvNQ

[jonp]

Went hiking by myself on a July 4th weekend in a canyon in AZ. Yeah, I know but I was young and bulletproof. Got sick to the point of stopping for the shade of a cactus and puking every hundred yards on the way out. I made it out to my car and drove to a small store and got a couple of bottles of Gatorade and drank them slowly filling the first with water after the gatorade before tackling the second. Seemed to work for me but I can't take the heat like I used to it seems to me.

[kmw1954]

Guess I'll relate my experience.

A few years ago before I retired I was working in a food plant with ovens. One of the ovens had 2 Teflon belts that the product would cook on. These belts wore quickly and would have to be replaced at least one a week.

One night a belt broke in the middle of a shift so we/I had to replace it. Temp on the shop floor was 100* and oven runs at 400*. In order to replace the broken belt it is required to go into the entrance of the oven to seam the belt once it is in place. With my experience in this procedure I was able to accomplish this task in about 20 minutes, most others it would take twice that time.


This particular time because of the heat and humidity in the building. 10 min after I finished and had gotten out of the oven I collapsed. Don't remember the rescue squad arriving or the trip to the ER.


To this day high heat is uncomfortable but cold hurts! Oh yeah, besides the ovens we also worked in -40* freezers and would often have to go from one to the other..

[MaryB]

7 hours in a 100 degree garage making beer Sunday and 3 hours head down in the garden yesterday caught up with me today. Feels like the stomach flu, nausea, cramps last night so little sleep... been pushing water, ate some raw veg for the minerals I need...

[lightload]

When working outside in hot weather, I leaned that soaking my clothes in water helped me stay cool. I refer to working in 100 degree weather on a road crew for 12 hours a day in the Mississippi sun. Big water trucks were always near by so staying soaked was easy. Also I learned that drinking a large quantity of water before I started work helped.

If you have your pup along, don't forget to "water" him too.

[kmw1954]

Heat can overtake one in a hurry, us older folks even when we're not doing anything. I too use to wear a cold wet shop towel around my neck and a shop rag under my hat. The guys would laugh and I'd just smile.

[Hickory]

[QUOTE=Hogtamer;3725693]For the cramps, drink a couple of tablespoons of the juice from a jar of dill pickles....quick relief.QUOTE]

I just came across this thread and would like to comment.

I've been shooting prairie dogs throughout the west for 35+ years during spring, summer and months in the early fall. There have been a lot of times where the temperature will hover near 95° or more. I have also found that long sliced dill pickles and a sip of the juice after lunch will do more to relieve thirst than water alone.
After all, when Jesus was on the cross and said,"I thirst." And was given vinegars, it was not to be mean or punish, but, because vinegar will quench your thirst.