How to treat 6 diseases caused by hot weather

Doctor Nguyen Viet Hau, Deputy Head of the Emergency Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the human body is most adapted to temperatures around 25 degrees Celsius.^oC. When the temperature is too cold or too hot, the body cannot adjust in time.

Children (under 4 years old), the elderly (over 70 years old) or people with many medical conditions, poor thermoregulation. Depending on the time, level of exposure, environmental temperature, diseases caused by the influence of temperature will appear with degrees from mild to severe.

1. Heat edema

Symptoms appear when the body changes suddenly to a hot environment. Swelling appears in the lower body such as the ankles and feet, due to blood vessels dilating to release heat. As the body adapts over a few hours or days, the symptoms will disappear.

Treatment:You can elevate your legs while sleeping to help blood circulate normally. You should not take diuretics to reduce swelling, as they can increase dehydration.

2. Rash

Skin areas exposed to sunlight or high temperatures outside are easily irritated, causing rashes and hives.

Treatment:After a while, the skin will recover and no treatment is needed. If the itching is severe, you can use anti-allergy drugs and limit exposure to sunlight. After that, the body will adjust itself and the symptoms will disappear.

3. Cramps

The disease often appears in heavy laborers or athletes who train at high intensity. At that time, the muscles have to work continuously, causing loss of water and salt, leading to muscle spasms. The patient has pain in the muscles, especially in the thighs and calves.

Treatment:You can use pain relievers, rest, move to a cool place, rehydrate with mineral salts, electrolyte solution to treat diarrhea, lemon juice mixed with salt, sugar... Note, do not use filtered water because it cannot meet the body's need for salt and water loss.

4. Fainting

This condition is common in people who travel in the summer, have to go out in the sun, climb mountains, move a lot, do military training... causing loss of salt and water. If water is not replenished in time, the water in the blood vessels will decrease, causing low blood pressure. People in a standing position can easily reduce blood flow to the brain, causing fainting.

Treatment: Place the person who fainted with their head low, move to a cool, airy area, loosen clothing, rehydrate with mineral salts, monitor for about 30 minutes, if stable, no need to go to the hospital.

5. Exhaustion

The main cause is a loss of salt and water that lasts longer than the above diseases. Symptoms include fainting, headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting.

Treatment:The patient needs to be given first aid promptly and moved to a cool environment. Delay can cause heat stroke.

6. Heat shock

Heat stroke has a mortality rate equivalent to a heart or brain stroke. The victim's body temperature can rise above 40 degrees Celsius, causing headaches, dizziness, nausea, drowsiness, impaired perception, convulsions, and coma. The cause is prolonged loss of salt and water from the body, overloading the body's ability to regulate temperature. The disease damages the cardiovascular, respiratory, liver, kidney, and nervous systems.

Treatment:Provide temporary first aid by having the patient lie with the head low, move away from the area with high temperature, reduce the temperature by using a fan, soak the victim in cool water for a few minutes. Use gauze soaked in cold water or ice to place on areas of the body with many blood vessels such as the forehead, back, armpits, groin... then immediately transfer the patient to the hospital.