Evaluation And Treatment Of Heat-Related Illnesses
...outside on the football field, the cornerback suddenly collapses onto the turf. He has warm, sweaty skin and the majority of his skin is red. The first person in response has a few duties: first to evaluate and hopefully recognize what is wrong with the athlete, and second to take whatever action necessary to treat the athlete and get them back to normal working condition. In this situation, the first responder should realize that the athlete has suffered some sort of a heat-related illness. In order to take the necessary precautions, the first responder must be properly informed. The different types and severities of the multiple heat-related illnesses, as well as the approved and suggested treatment methods must all be explored for the first responder to know how to take care of the athlete. Common sense would say to remove the athlete from the hot environment and cool him down as quickly as possible
this may not be completely true. In fact it is very deleterious to the athlete to submerge them in water right away. Other methods should be implicated to cool down the athlete.
There are many different types of heat-related illnesses, including: heat exhaustion, heat stroke, heat syncope, and heat cramps. Of those, heat stroke is definitely the most severe, while heat cramps are probably the most non-threatening. A simple way for aiding prevention of all heat-related illnesses is proper and adequate hydration before, during, and after workout sessions. Decrements of performance and impaired cognitive function have been seen at only 1-2% hypohydration (Yeargin). Signs and symptoms of each illness are different, as well as the methods for treating them are different.
Heat stroke is a very severe illness that is a medical emergency and, if not treated correctly, can quickly escalate to permanent damage or even death. Prompt assessment and rapid treatment of...
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