Heat Stroke
Heat stroke follows heat exhaustion. This is a dangerous situation. Staying out in hot weather for too long without adequate protection and hydration can cause your temperature to spike to dangerous levels. Young babies and children as well as the elderly are at more risk for developing heat related problems. If you have other problems like diabetes, heart or circulatory issues or other serious conditions, you also may be more at risk. Some medications like vasoconstrictors, diuretics and beta blockers also raise your risk level.
Symptoms
Symptoms of heat stroke include a rapid increase in temperature to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher (41 degrees Celsius +), a lack of perspiration, flushed skin, breathing difficulties, a rapid pulse, confusion, hallucination, disorientation, thirst and sometimes seizures and a loss of consciousness or coma. Blood pressure may drop and the victim may feel faint or dizzy. Immediately following this, it is common for the victim to tremble or go into convulsions.
Causes
Heat stroke occurs if you are exposed to hot weather too long without adequate hydration. Your body maintains its proper temperature by sweating, but if your body gets dehydrated, there is no more liquid to spare for sweating. As a result, your body temperature rises rapidly, throwing your body into shock.
Cautions
If immediate steps are not taken to try to lower the temperature, heat stroke victims are in danger. Temperatures can rise above 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius) suddenly. Try to cool down the person suffering and get them medical attention immediately.
Herbal Treatments
Internal Applications
- Mango – raw mangoes can be boiled and expressed into a kind of soup. This soup should be slightly salted and fed slowly to the person suffering.
- Lemon – add lemon juice to a glass of cold water with a pinch of salt to prevent heat related problems.
- Plum – place a couple of plums in cold water and let it soak until the fruit is soft. Mash the plums into the water. Pour the resulting mixture through a sieve or colander and drink the water laced with plums that drains out. This remedy helps relieve the burning sensation that can be caused by heat.
- Linden – take as an herbal tea to relieve the stress and anxiety that may follow a case of heatstroke or heat exhaustion. Drink this tea three times a day for a few days.
- Passionflower – take this tea after suffering from heatstroke or heat exhaustion to relieve anxiety and stress that may occur. Take three times per day for a couple of days.
External Applications
- Onion – shred a raw onion and wrap it in a cloth. Squeeze tightly to get the juice of the onion into the cloth. Hold this as a compress on the chest and behind the ears to relieve inflammation that is caused by heatstroke.
- Peppermint – apply the oil of peppermint to the skin to help cool down. Put a drop or two on the temples. You can also take peppermint internally by adding a couple of drops to cool water and drinking it to cool down.