2023-09-10 09:59:58
Can heat stroke be fatal? Be careful if you have these symptoms… AFP By the editorial team Published on 08/17/2023 at 11:44 a.m.
Yes, you really can die from heatstroke.
of videos
An unusual death but is it so exceptional? “We call it heatstroke. With sunstroke you suffer from a headache, possibly muscle cramps and vomiting, but with prompt intervention the matter is taken care of. Heat stroke is more serious,” explains Sandra Verelst, head of the emergency department at UZ Leuven
Heatstroke can typically occur in children and the elderly when they have been out in the sun for too long. But heatstroke can also be linked to physical activity and in this case affect athletes. “By exercising vigorously, their body produces heat and, at a certain point, the drainage mechanism is no longer able to compensate for this excess heat.”
Finding death after heatstroke is a rare occurrence, reassures the head of the emergency department at UZ Leuven. The key is to quickly lower the patient’s temperature as quickly as possible: “The longer this temperature remains above 40 degrees, the greater the risk that the organs will malfunction further. »
Some people are more at risk. We are thinking in particular of the elderly, people who suffer from heart failure or who are receiving diuretics and therefore become dehydrated quickly.
In the event of a heatwave, Sandra Verelst advises people practicing physical activity not to do it alone and to keep an eye out for the symptoms listed below: “Patients do not realize at the time that something is wrong “.
Symptoms of heatstroke
Body temperature above 40ºCNauseaVomitingConfusionSeizuresIrritabilityLoss of appetiteDecreased or complete absence of thirst
1694344306
#face #store #point #contact #customers