What to do during sunstroke and heat stroke

        
        

            

How to prevent a sunstroke?

Do not spend too much time in the sun. If that is unavoidable, protect your head with a light hat. Especially babies are at risk, their skull is much thinner and partially not even completely closed. Besides, you always have to drink enough, especially in the heat. As a rule of thumb, on hot days, an adult needs at least half a liter of extra water.

What is the difference to heat stroke?

Even if the two terms "sunstroke" and "heat stroke" are often confused in everyday life: A heat stroke is much more dangerous than a sunstroke. The heat stroke is triggered by physical overexertion in a hot environment. He often meets people in poorly ventilated areas, such as blast furnace workers or sauna visitors who do not go out in the corridors in the fresh air. Athletes who train in the heat may also suffer a heat stroke.

Heat stroke can be life-threatening

In a heat stroke, in contrast to the sunstroke, an increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees Celsius and more. That is life threatening. Great exertion combined with intense heat can disable the body's temperature regulation system, for example, sweat production fails. There is a build-up of heat.

Signs of a heat stroke are often convulsions, hallucinations and consciousness clouding. But it also happens that the person concerned is "only" completely exhausted. The pulse rate is high, blood pressure low, the skin hot and dry. Beware, this condition is often confused with fatigue or fatigue and the heat stroke is treated too late.

Bring the victim out of the heat immediately and call the ambulance. Cool your whole body with damp cloths and control your breathing and consciousness. Perform Emergency First Aid .

The heat exhaustion

There is a transitional stage between sunstroke and heat stroke, called heat exhaustion. It is caused by the loss of liquid and salts in case of insufficient drinking. Signs include dehydration and a rise in body temperature to 37 to 40 degrees Celsius. Although there are often no disturbances of consciousness during the heat exhaustion, dizziness, shortness of breath and shivering certainly already occur. The heat exhaustion is treated like a sunstroke and heat stroke.