Survival Tips:
Surviving a summer heatwave
 Heatwaves can be dangerous, especially for the very young, very old or those
with chronic diseases. As in other European countries, England experienced a
heatwave in 2003. The
UK's highest-ever recorded temperature of 38.5 degrees Celsius on 10 August.About
11,000 people died due to the 2003 heatwave in France, which led to a shortage
of space to store dead bodies in mortuaries. Temporary mortuaries were set up in
refrigerated lorries.
There were also heat-related deaths in the UK (900), Spain (100), Portugal
(1,300), Italy (2,000), Holland (1,500) and Germany (300). Elderly people are
especially likely to suffer from the effects of heat. It is possible the death
toll of the 2003 heatwave exceeded 20,000 throughout Europe as a whole.
- Plan your day so you stay out of the heatwave. Avoid going out in the hottest part of the day.
- If you have to go out in a heatwave, stay in shade, wear a hat and light, loose clothes and use a sun
protection cream that allows the skin to perspire.
- Carry plenty of water - take frequent small sips.
- Keep rooms cool by shading windows, keep them closed if the room air is cooler than the outside air and
open them at night when the temperature drops.
- Take cool showers or baths. Splash yourself with cold water, particularly
the face and back of your neck. If you in a heatwave in the open, keep a damp
towel against the back of your neck, keep wetting the top of your head or wet
your headwear.
- Eat as normal. Eat more cold food - salads and fruit. Avoid drinking tea, coffee, carbonated drinks and alcohol.
If you smoke, cut down dramatically as smoking uses up water in the mouth,
throat and lungs.
- Keep pets in the shade and make sure they have plenty of fresh water available.
- Pay particular attention to babies and young children, keep them calm and make sure they are comfortable and
not overexerting themselves.
- If you have an elderly neighbour, check them from time-to-time to make sure they are OK.
What can happen to you in a heatwave? Heat Stroke:
Heatstroke is the most severe of the heat-related problems, often resulting from exercise or heavy work in hot environments combined with inadequate fluid intake
and is a killer in a heatwave.
Young children, older adults, people who are obese and people born with an impaired ability to sweat are at high risk of heatstroke. Other risk factors include dehydration, alcohol use, cardiovascular disease and certain medications.
What makes heatstroke severe and potentially life-threatening is that the body's normal mechanisms for dealing with heat stress, such as sweating and temperature control, are lost. The main sign of heatstroke is a markedly elevated body temperature
— generally greater than 40ºC (104ºF) — with changes in mental status ranging from personality changes to confusion and coma. Skin may be hot and dry — although if heatstroke is caused by exertion, the skin may be moist.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
- Rapid heartbeat
- Rapid and shallow breathing
- Elevated or lowered blood pressure
- Cessation of sweating
- Irritability, confusion or unconsciousness
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed
- Headache
- Nausea
- Fainting, which may be the first sign in older adults
If you suspect heatstroke:
Move the person out of the sun and into a shady or air-conditioned space.
Dial the emergency services or call for emergency medical assistance, be
prepared that in a heatwave the emergency services will be busier, so it is
important you know what to do until they arrive:
Cool the person by covering him or her with damp sheets or by spraying with cool water. Direct air onto the person with a fan or newspaper.
Have the person drink cool water, if he or she is able. Only allow the person to
take small sips of water at minute intervals. Drinking more than this will lead
to sweating and worsening of the situation because the body loses the water and
does not absorb it.
Dehydration:
This is the loss of water from the body. It can cause
tiredness and problems with breathing and heart rates. Legs may swell slightly
because the body cannot store water as such, but water is deposited in fat,
muscle and tissues in the legs as an attempt to store it; some people notice
this more than others and age is a factor here. Being very thirsty is a late
warning of dehydration, do not wait until you feel thirsty before drinking. The
only way of preventing dehydration is to drink water in small sips. If you drink
an excess of water you will sweat more and worsen your situation and this is a
common mistake made by people when caught in a heatwave.
Signs of dehydration:
Feeling a little thirsty, dry in the mouth and dry lips are early signs you do not have enough water in your body
- this is mild dehydration.
Feeling very dry in the mouth, very thirsty, eyes
sunken in the sockets and skin losing its elasticity are signs of moderate
dehydration.
If you show all the signs of moderate dehydration but in addition have cold hands and feet, a weakened pulse of over 100 beats per minute at rest,
rapid and shallow breathing, feel lethargic and confused, the body is severely dehydrated.
Mild and moderate dehydration are not usually life-threatening at any age and can be treated in the home. Severe
dehydration is life-threatening at all ages and
requires hospitalisation.
Mild dehydration is common in a heatwave scenario. To treat mild dehydration, slowly build up your liquid levels by taking frequent sips of
cooled, boiled water. To treat moderate dehydration you need to drink a
re-hydration solution.
Do not drink sports drinks that claim to re-hydrate you, these drinks can
lead to vomiting and diarrhoea and are so concentrated they can
limit intestinal water absorption. In a heatwave one of the fastest routes to
dehydration is to drink "sports drinks" and "energy-giving" drinks .
An emergency re-hydration solution can be made in the home and consists of one level teaspoon of salt, eight level teaspoons of sugar dissolved in
one litre cooled boiled water. Drink the whole litre in small quantities. Commercially available re-hydration
mix can usually be purchased from a pharmacy. Kaolectrolyte (carbohydrate and electrolyte powder packets) is the product that most closely approximates World Health Organization and American Academy of
Paediatrics guidelines on oral re-hydrating solutions suitable for babies and small children. Because
it comes in small, easily transportable packets and dissolves in 8 oz
(227 cc) of water in seconds, Kaolectrolyte more convenient than most pre-mixed brands
if you need to carry a re-hydration mix with you. Kaolectrolyte also come in several
flavours. Sunburn:
In a prolonged heatwave, it is easy to
become fatigued and lethargic and neglect sun protection. Sunburn is a type of burn caused by overexposure to the UV (ultraviolet) rays of the sun; people with fairer skin, containing less melanin, burn quicker in the sun than darker-skinned people. Sunburn starts with an initial redness of the skin, then is followed by varying degrees of pain, and may cause blistering. The sunburnt area feels hot to the touch and severely sunburned people can develop fever, chills, dizziness and dehydration. After the skin has healed, the dead skin peels off as it is replaced by new skin. The level of severity of the sunburn is directly proportional to the length and the strength of the exposure.
The Consequences of Sunburn:
As well as the immediate discomfort, repeated overexposure to the sun should be avoided, as permanent skin damage can develop. This can take the form of premature aging and skin cancer.
Sunburn should be treated as soon as it happens, or as soon as you notice. After mild sunburn, a warm shower will speed up the peeling of the burned (dead) skin sooner and so get rid of the irritation earlier.
You can also bathe the burnt area in lukewarm water, to which you can add lavender oil, camomile, eucalyptus or baby oil. Another thing to do is to use
Aloe Vera gel on the burn. These natural remedies are a good way to cool and soothe the burn and, as they all contain natural anti-inflammatory chemicals, they reduce the swelling. These remedies do not help the burn to heal more quickly. To do this, you need to use after-sun lotion, a moisturiser designed specifically for this purpose, which also contains anti-inflammatory substances and will cool and soothe the burn. After-sun lotions also contain additives that help the burn to heal more rapidly. It is best to avoid oily or greasy lotions because these will trap in the heat and the pain and do not help the burn at all.
If the sunburn has blistered, never burst the blister as this can cause serious infection. If the sunburn has blistered and covers a large area, or if the person is shivering and showing signs of dehydration, seek medical help immediately.
The best thing you can do is not get sunburnt, use protection cream with the correct UV protection factor for your skin-type, wear white (to reflect the UV) clothing (cotton is best), sunglasses to protect the eyes and a large hat to protect the top of the head, face and neck. Wear long trousers and long-sleeved tops (again, white cotton is best) to reduce the risk of burning larger areas of skin.
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