Sunstroke

“I never wear a hat, my skin doesn’t burn, it just gets a beautiful tan”.

“I will drink water whenever I feel thirsty. PE teacher told me that I don’t need to drink water during sport activities, because I will start to sweat. Also, a real man has to put up with being thirsty.”

Sometimes for some reason people refuse to follow the simplest instructions, which are one of the most important conditions for a safe and pleasant hike. We understand that sometimes it is difficult to follow all the instructions, but there are basic safety rules, that everyone should follow.

What is sunstroke or heatstroke?

Sunstroke is a group of symptoms, resulting from overheating of the body. This can also happen in a poorly ventilated room, but it is more common in case of long staying under the sun in hot summer weather. Infrared rays of the sun affect our body. If most of the ultraviolet rays can be stopped even with a thin layer of clothing, then infrared rays penetrate the body and heat it.

In case of not following safety rules, sun stroke can often happen to people in the sea, high in the mountains or people who are under the sun while being intoxicated.

In highlands solar radiation is much stronger than at sea level. That’s why people, who were having a rest at Lake Sevan, return home with sunstroke instead of a tan.

At risk are:

• Children
• Overweight people
• People with heart disease
• People under the influence of alcohol
• People doing intense physical work
• Dehydrated people
• People with diabetes
• People allergic to the sun

We’ve already talked about hypothermia and frostbite, but the sunstroke is a bigger threat for us, since in Armenia hikers are more active in summer season. In hot weather, mountains, especially the ones with height of 2000 meters (Hatis, Ara, Armaghan) can be more dangerous than Aragats, because of the sun, heat and an unreasonable approach to this issue. A person may not be aware that he is getting a sunstroke. That’s why it is important that people in the group are always attentive to each other. You have to watch out for a person walking next to you, to recognize the signs of sun stroke or any other problem on time.

Let’s find out what will happen if you get a sunstroke, and then learn how to avoid it. Sunstroke has 3 stages depending on complexity and the aggravation of the situation.

*First stage

1. Weakness
2. Dry and red skin
3. Dizziness and headache
4. Sometimes muscle pain
5. Nausea
6. Dilated pupils
7. Frequent and shallow breathing
8. Increased heart rate

These symptoms usually pass quickly and without consequences.

*Second stage

1. Exhaustion
2. Strong dizziness and headache
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Uncertain, staggering gait
5. Noise in ears
6. Nose bleed
7. High temperature – 38-40 degrees

*Third stage

1. Red and then blue face
2. Delusions, hallucinations
3. Uncontrollable muscle cramps
4. High temperature – 41-42 degrees
5. Heart rate reaches 140 contractions per minute
6. Perspiration stops
7. Loss of consciousness (even coma)
8. Sudden death (mortality rate – 20-30%)

Sunstroke prevention

Everything is very simple, all you have to do is:

• Wear light-colored clothing, preferably thermal clothing that covers the entire body.

You need to choose thermal underwear designed specifically for hot weather, which efficiently removes sweat. Even if you feel a little hot in the thermal underwear, it is better than a naked body, since this underwear removes sweat. And on naked body sweat collects and does not disappear, preventing the skin from breathing.

• Be sure to protect your head

Sun cap, bandana, buff, panama, anything that protects head and neck.

• Sunglasses. If you damage your eyes, there is a risk to get snow blindness.
• Apply sunscreen or spray with minimum SPF 50 to your face, neck, all of the exposed parts of your body and even underneath clothing.
• Don’t forget to drink water or other fluids.

We have already talked about the importance of isotonics. You can buy special sports isotonics or make them yourself at home. To one liter of water add half a teaspoon of salt, lemon juice, a few spoons of sugar. You can make green tea and add it all to it. Or you can buy Rehydron from pharmacy. It is a powder with the same minerals, but it doesn’t have any sweet additives, so pay attention to its unpleasant taste and add a small amount of it to your tea or juice. Often we forget to drink water during a difficult hike, or we are simply lazy to take off our backpack and take a bottle of water from it. In these cases it is very convenient to have a water bag, since its tube is always at hand, and drinking from it is very easy.

If possible, avoid direct sunlight, it is especially dangerous during daytime.

If the sunstroke happened

• The victim should be taken to a shady, cool place.
• Check the breathing

The victim may start vomiting, after which in mouth and nose can stay some residues. This is extremely dangerous, because the airways are blocked. Clean mouth and nose from residues, lay the head back and check the breathing again. If necessary, you need to do an artificial respiration and indirect heart massage (CPR) until the victim becomes conscious again.

• Call an ambulance, rescuers, find any way to quickly deliver the victim to the doctor.
• Raise the legs a little.
• Remove all the jewelry, belts, shoes; loosen the collar, the tie, unbutton the shirt.
• If the victim is conscious, help them to drink fluid. It should be slightly colder than room temperature, but not frozen.
• Put cold compress to victim’s head, neck; put ice bags under the hips, bottles of cold water or anything that will cool down the body.
• You need to tell the doctor in detail what happened and what steps you took.
• The victim must remain in a lying, calm position. They must not get nervous or make sudden movements. A person who helps the victim is also required to keep them mentally calm.

And remember, all of this would not have happened, if you just drank enough water and put on a hat.

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Safety tips for hiking in Armenia