heat stroke discussions

[Mike.357]

started this so my " whats for dinner thread would not get "Jacked" any further.

Discuss your heat stroke here.

I thought I had one about a week and a half ago. Could not put any more fluid in me that I had been doing. To get more I would have needed a garden hose stuck in my stomache.

I was sloshing when I walked. Pissing deep color, stopped sweating, nausea, disoriented.

it was bad news. Took me a couple of days to feel better. I was not very sure I was going to be able to drive home once I started on down the road. It took about 4 days of staying in doors in A/C to really feel myself again.

[dralarms]

Been there. Not fun.

You need to be careful. Heat will kill you.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

It's really dangerous.. I've never had any of the symptoms to this. I just now how dangerous it can be. No matter the outdoor work or what needs to be done. You're life is not worth anything that you need to do outside.

[Guest db99wj]

I ran just short of 3.5 miles Saturday morning around 10am while my oldest son was at soccer practice, I was going to go another mile, but the last little bit, I started feeling nausious, never stopped sweating though. I got in the car, full blast AC and drank water.

Last Friday morning inspected a warehouse, no AC, it was in the mid 90's already, with heat index in the 110+ range by 11am when I finished. I felt horrible the rest of the day, run down, and didn't feel well, had to go out that afternoon for some pictures, got home, was thankful we stayed at home.

This heat is dangerous. It is suppose to be only in the mid 90's, with a north wind of 10mph. So hopefuly this heat wave is done for the most part.

[Guest jackdm3]

The prob I encountered yesterday was all inside with airconditioning and we hardly had to open the windows to pass lumber out. We cut the lumber on a shaded porch. NEVER thought I was pushing my boundaries. I was not angry in my work, which is a prime indicator of whether I will aggravate my condition. This whole week will be spent indoors and rehydrating. No beer last night nor tonight. Probably not until the end of the week. It's just not worth it.

[oldogy]

I had a close call three years ago. I was putting the last of the steel roof on a lean-to of an out building here at my place. It was getting close to noon when I stopped sweating and felt strange, light headed. Somehow I got down the ladder and into the house. The kitchen sink was the closest water where I started running water over my face, neck, and arms. I yelled for the wife when I came into the house and she met me at the sink and watched me slowly fall to the floor. I hit my head as I fell, a bit of blood, nothing serious. The wife kept me wet and was slapping me, talking to me trying to get me to come around. I knew she was there and what was happening but I could not act. I came around after a couple minutes and seemed just fine, mind was clear. We took my BP and systolic was in the 80s and my temperature was right at 100. BP and temp soon returned to normal. She said I was on the floor about five minutes. Later that evening I picked up and put away my tools. I really had no lasting effects and was back out working cautiously the next day.

I hate to think what the results may have been had I not made it safely down the ladder.

So, today I am working outside but frequently come into the house to cool off.

oldogy

[Daniel]

We go over the symptoms and signs of heat injuries quite often in my daily job.

[gregintenn]

I've worked outdoors my entire life. Last month was the first time ever I've had any problems overheating....i guess that was what it was. We took the children to a theme park for two days. I felt fine. The next day, I woke up and didn't feel very well, but went to work. As the day went on, I began to feel worse. I decided to come home, and on the way home I began to shiver; more like convulsing uncontrollably. In 100 degree heat, I drove home with the heat on full blast, still shivering. When I finally got home and got out of the truck, everything turned dark, and I had to sit down a few minutes before continuing into the house. I put on a heavy coat, turned the air off, and got into bed under the covers and laid there until late the next day. I felt a bit better then, but it took about a week to get back to normal. As I said, this has NEVER happened to me, and I stayed hydrated; I thought. I never felt bad until the following day. I also found it odd that my wife and kids had no ill effects.

[dats82]

It is important to remember that you are not just sweating water. Many of the symptoms are due to electrolyte imbalances. To properly stay hydratated, you also have to take in the other stuff; this is the purpose of Gatorade or Powerade or any of the other sports drinks. Generally, I think they have too much sugar in them to drink while I am working, but I will often water them down and try to use the G2 Gatorade.

It is scary how easy it is to get yourself in trouble with the heat. Really, once you realize you are too hot or dehydrated, you are so far behind, it is hard to get caught up if you keep trying to work.

[Guest bkelm18]

For good re-hydration and replenishment of electrolytes without the sugar, stuff like Pedialyte works well. If you can stand the taste. I got pretty bad last week. Whichever day was the day where the heat index was like 115. Was ok (not great) all day at work, got home and felt absolutely god awful and started shivering uncontrollably. Lasted an hour or two.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Here's a link to some tool box talks. We use something similar on our jobsites at our safety meetings. One of these is on heat stroke and heat exhaustion. There are several in there that are good to have on hand. Especially in a situation where you don't have A/C.

Safety Toolbox Talks :: Toolbox Topics and Safety Meetings - Toolbox Talks

[Oh Shoot]

We're really talking dehydration rather than heat stroke for the most part.

Real heat stroke and you're out for the count.

But anyway, severe dehydration has happened to me twice, about 10 years ago walking a golf course and about 2 months ago walking on bike trail.

Dizzy, slightly nauseous, headache, pulse racing, light to no sweat and not thirsty.

Got home in both cases, blood pressure like 70 something over 60 something.

The first time, I had no idea what it was, figgered heart attack or stroke, but second time, I recognized the symptoms.

In both cases, it happened early in the physical endeavor, which shows that the dehydration occurred over a period of time, rather than from one extended session or day of exertion.

I suspect that's how it can happen in Mike's case, even though he was pumping fluids the day it happened. Just too much coffee/tea/beer/caffeinated pops and not enough water over a period of time, and it catches up to you.

The normal thirst response in most everyone diminishes as you age; by the time you actually feel truly thirsty, except in fairly immediate response to salty food intake, you are already significantly dehydrated.

I also rescued a young runner lass on the bike trail about three weeks ago; gal in her twenties in good shape, had white-eyed in the weeds beside the trail, so everyone's at risk.

Also, all that "electrolyte replenishment" stuff: I dunno, most medical folks agree that water is all you need, and that most of the salts and whatever pass right though, and that your bod needs to replenish all that naturally.

And of course, classic GatorAde and the like is basically a diabetes machine with all the sugar and empty carbs. Drink water, your pancreas will thank you.

- OS

Edited August 16, 2010 by OhShoot

[Smith]

Close to a stroke, but in high school me and my brother had a lawn buisness and we had a case of "severe heat exhaustion" one day. It was 110 deg in the shade one afternoon in Memphis ('94). Towards the end of the day I stopped sweating and was getting very chilled. Started shaking due to being cold. We had hosed ourselves down every chance we could get and drank Gatorade and water till we couldn't drink anymore. When we finally made it home late that afternoon we both slept for 42+hours straight. My mom said several nurses and doctors from our church had come by and said we were lucky we didn't have strokes or worse. Said our core temperatures were dangerously high and should be at the hospital but that it was probably safer if we stayed sleeping unless we had other stroke type symptoms. To this day my body temperature is abnormally low and I get hot and sweat if the temp gets above 70 deg. Doctors said it probably permanently damaged my inner thermometer.

We do come by it honestly though. My dad had to take potassium pills anytime he worked outside and had to be careful to watch his temperature.

[Guest KimberChick]

Gatorade is nasty when it's as hot as its been the last few weeks. It'll make me barf in Technicolor, lol. I've been using this stuff to supplement plain water for the last couple of years when I ride my bikes.

nuun | optimal hydration <---this stuff looks similar to an alka-seltzer tab but provides way more in the way of electrolytes than Gatorade ever thought about. Slight flavor, no sugar. The flavors aren't the traditional candy-like powerade stuff so it takes a second to get used to it. It's also in tablet form which stores nicely.

HEED - Sports Energy Drink | Hammer Nutrition <----this is my long term, too-hot-to-eat stuff. It provides complex carbs in addition to electrolytes and minerals. Very light flavor, no sugar(notice a trend here?) but I will say this stuff doesn't dissolve easily into water. Halfpint described the pack I sent with him this weekend as "chewy" but I don't think he had dissolved all the way. If you dump the powder into a little water and shake the crap out of it before adding it to the rest of your water it does better. It'll always be a tad grainy at the bottom of the bottle though.

I can't eat when I run or ride for long periods of time, so I'll do breakfast and use HEED to help keep something more than water on my stomach until I'm finished and beyond the danger of yakking on the trails, lol.

Edited August 16, 2010 by KimberChick

[Daniel]

I eat a clif bar when riding and keep a camelbak on me. Camelbak makes some alka seltzer like things to drop in aswell that I have had that are pretty damn good.

[bubbadavis]

My powered attic fans quit working back in June. I went up in the attic and found and fixed the problem - it was a wiring issue. By the time I was finished, I was about to pass out. I have a wireless temperature sensor in the attic and it was 138*. I felt like I was working in a sauna!

[-boatman-]

We go over the symptoms and signs of heat injuries quite often in my daily job.

We do also where I work. Almost everyday while it has been so hot. We had a 40 year old guy die from heat stroke at home a few weeks ago. I heard he almost had one a few weeks earlier but got out in time. We had another one happen at work but I think he is going to be ok.

[Guest Glock23ForMe]

That's really scary. This heat is no good.

[Kegger]

Mike, sounds like you actually were suffering from hyponatremia. It's when you drink so much water you flush all the electrolytes out of your system.

The symptoms are identical to heat stroke, with BP being the only difference.

Ya need to make sure you are eating food throughout the day as well as drinking water.

[Mike.357]

Mike, sounds like you actually were suffering from hyponatremia. It's when you drink so much water you flush all the electrolytes out of your system.

The symptoms are identical to heat stroke, with BP being the only difference.

Ya need to make sure you are eating food throughout the day as well as drinking water.

yanno Kegger, I think you are right. That particular day I was getting killed at work, had no cash in my pocket and had taken some leftovers from home for lunch that just did not interest me. The heat probably kept hunger at bay.

I worked in the golf business for a lot of years, pretty much worked outside. I never had a problem with the heat really. I drank only diet cokes but golf course feed the help for the most part. So I always had something for lunch that was palatable. I think your food comment is spot on.

Was hot as an Easy Bake oven in there today even though it was not so bad outside. I pounded water and sweated like a pig, but I did make myself stop at about 11 and eat a little something (some of a chicken breast), and then I stopped at about 1:30 and ate a little more. I also went to the store and got a couple Powerades. But I never felt bad like I had that other day. So I do think food is part of it all.

[dralarms]

Oh yea that makes sense.

Mike,

Just a suggestion but it works for me. My wife buys those little boxes of dry cereal and I keep some in the truck. They are not much but when it's so hot outside like it has been lately I find that even if I'm "not hungry" I'll eat a box and I'll feel better. Most of them are only 100 calories and they require no special storage.

[Mike.357]

thanks for the suggestion Doc, I will try that.

[Kegger]

Keep some granola bars handy for between meals and eat em even if ya aren't hungry in those situations.

Quite literally a life saver.

[deerslayer]

I'm not a huge fan of Gatorade, either. If I'm gonna be outside for a long time, I'll guzzle water and eat a Slim Jim.

[Oh Shoot]

Mike, sounds like you actually were suffering from hyponatremia. It's when you drink so much water you flush all the electrolytes out of your system.

The symptoms are identical to heat stroke, with BP being the only difference.

Ya need to make sure you are eating food throughout the day as well as drinking water.

Doesn't 'splain dark urine -- if his bod had really cached enough hydration he woulda been pissin clear.

Also, he had racing pulse, he told me.

I'll bet if Mike had a cuff around, his BP would have been really low, too, like close to pass out low. That's why pulse races without exertion, trying to keep BP up to pressure to supply the ole bean.

- OS