Heat Emergencies

Polarman's post reminded me that some of our younger folks may not have dealt with or had training to handle heat emergencies.

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Be careful, this heat is serious. Watch the older folks, watch the kids, watch each other. That goes double for outside pets.

I treated an older gentlemen with heart problems a few years ago at the factory: he was in heat exhaustion to the point of passing out for a few seconds and and rapidly headed for heat stroke.

It will kill you. Stay alert.

Well said Also the hotter it gets the more mosqitoes you will see as well Get rid of any puddles of old water especially after a rainstorm because thats where the eggs will be laid As for the heat I just wear white suit with only the black short top on it The mask is still worn but the cowl over it is very loose fitting Also I am very careful not to push myself too hard while parkouring across town I tend to drink Lots of juice smoothies or water this time of year Especially if I do go out on holidays down south where I will probably feel 20 times the heat you are feeling right now If any of you wish to cool off come on up to Iqaluit and swim in one of the many lakes around here

Its Hotter than Hell in Iqaluit Sunny and going up to + 30 at least The heat is shimmering on the horizon If the mosqitoes dont get so bad this weekend I might go for a swim in the lake

102 on Friday. Yikes!

Heat stroke is a major issue around here. There are a few things I've learned.

1. Just because you can't see the Sun, it doesn't mean you can't get burned. Clouds block some of the Sun's rays, but only some.

2. Sunburns are serious stuff. They are, literally, radiation burns. If you get a bad burn, DO NOT put anything oil based on it. A radiation burn essentially boils the fluid on your cells and that heat MUST be allowed to escape. Putting oil or butter (an old folk remedy) on a burn will seal the heat in the skin and actually make matters worse, no better.

3. Sun stroke is your brain being boiled in it's own fluids. The most immediate treatment is to cool down the head. Sun stroke can cause PERMANENT brain damage! NOT A JOKE!

4. Skin cancer is a growing problem EVERYWHERE. If you find a weird looking mole or off color blotch on your skin, especially in an area often exposed to the sun, GET IT CHECKED! Early detection means easy treatment. Late detection means bad news.

Don't forget about the dogs. Dogs don't handle heat as well as humans. Some dog owners don't consider that when locking them into their car hot summer days.

OH, for goodness sake! Dogman THANKYOU!

I used to scream at people who walked their dogs during the day in Phoenix! FOOLS!!!

I just posted at Polarman's thread and forgot to post about hats!


DAMMIT! WEAR A HAT!!!!
and LOADS of sunscreen
AND AND AND!
Sunscreen only lasts an HOUR no matter what the label says!

Take if from an Irish gal!

AND AND AND People-of-Color MUST wear sunscreen and hats too

Oh, yah, AND GLOVES!!!! for every one

There is nothing silly about putting an ice pack inside a hat!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I tried to fill my landscaping clothes with ice
but, the clothes got wet and I sunburned.

So, I use the plastic ice packs.

I tried the bag ice packs of that weird gel stuff but I move a lot and hit really hard and
I keep popping them.

I like the hard, cutie ice packs for kids lunches

My boss left me in charge of two 17 year olds with the task of
filling the wheel barrow with soil and running it up hill
to the new bed in the back yard from the big pile at th ebottom of the driveway.

We had four hours to get it done.

The boys were stopping at the top to TOTALLY catch their breath and make a few calls
AT EVERY RUN!
One boy had scarf arms.

The other had already had lap-band surgery.
(Jonny told me to not send him up the hill.)

After a few runs, they both looked at me and asked me HOW
i could EVEN do all that.
I said, "age", paused and added, "training, lots and lots of training".


They did NOT argue with me after that
AND I tied ice packs shaped like cookies and butterflys on their heads and they didn't argue with that either.


sigh.

Do you see why I worry?

Heat injuries are serious business, and they are similar to a concussion in the sense that once you get one, it's easier every time after that for another heat injury to occur.

I'm going make a post in the First Aid section on this

When camping in Ontario last summer I would go by 50 bags of ice each night and lay half of them on the ground then cover myself with the other half of the ice bags while sleeping outside I only slept in the RV if it rained or the tent if the mosqitoes got really bad

Even worse than seeing a dog inside the locked car is when people lock their kids in there

Don't forget: when you're giving them water make them drink slowly. They will usually want to gulp it down. Don't let them.
If they do that, they may projectile vomit and get even weaker.

Slow and steady.

Polarman wrote:

Even worse than seeing a dog inside the locked car is when people lock their kids in there

Yeah, infants don't sweat very well.