Heat wave is imminent: These symptoms indicate sunstroke
Created: 06/17/2022, 14:42
By: Maria Dirschauer
The hottest weekend of 2022 is imminent: Temperatures of up to 40 degrees are possible.
This is how heat damage such as sunstroke and heat stroke manifest themselves!
Many love the warm rays of sunshine in summer and can't imagine anything nicer than tanning for hours or spending time at the lido.
But the fantastic weather also has a downside: dangerous
heat damage
should not be underestimated!
These are not only caused by the high temperatures, but also by direct sunlight.
How to recognize symptoms and the
difference between sunstroke and heat stroke
.
The latter can be life-threatening.
From headaches to dizziness: In summer you should not take sunstroke symptoms lightly.
© Sergio Monti/Imago
Sunstroke Symptoms and Tips for Relief
Sunstroke (medical:
insolation
) can occur if you have exposed your head and neck to direct sunlight that contains infrared radiation for too long.
This heats up the meninges, which reacts with inflammation.
The reactions usually only become noticeable a few hours after intensive sunbathing.
Typical symptoms
are:
red hot head
Headache,
Nausea,
dizziness,
an increased heart rate or
a stiff neck.
If you recognize one or more of the symptoms mentioned, you should immediately
avoid direct sun
.
Go indoors or in the cool shade.
Avoid physical exertion, rest and cool your head with a wet cloth – be careful, your head can’t take a cold shock right now, so it’s best not to take a cooling bag out of the freezer.
You should also
drink a lot
, preferably water without ice cubes or carbonated water.
The symptoms usually disappear after a few hours.
Preventing sunstroke: So that it doesn't get that far in the first place
You can prevent sunstroke by wearing light-colored headgear, such as a large white hat or a light-colored scarf.
Drink enough.
Apply sunscreen to your skin regularly.
Avoid long stays in direct sunlight.
Children in particular should not be in the sun around noon in the summer.
Caution: This is how you recognize a heart attack immediately
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Heat stroke: Recognize symptoms and get help
Sunstroke mainly affects the head, while
heat stroke
affects the entire body from the high temperature.
The heat causes the body to sweat out large amounts of water and salt.
If you don't drink enough now, your blood will become thicker due to lack of water.
A further consequence can be a shock-like reaction, which is associated with symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, pale and cold skin and dry mucous membranes.
This is called "
heat exhaustion
".
In the worst case, heat stroke develops: the body stops sweating, other symptoms are:
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flushed skin,
increased body temperature up to 40 degrees and
fainting.
In both cases you should
call the
medical emergency service as soon as possible.
A heat stroke is always an emergency, overheating of the body can lead to
brain
damage, in the worst case there is a risk of heat death.
Don't leave the affected person alone to avoid losing consciousness.
If this does happen, place the person in the recovery position until an ambulance arrives.
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