Heat stroke - a warning
Discussion
It has been a bit of a strange weekend.
Wife was playing tennis on Friday lunchtime She is healthy, active and fit 50 year old. She was out in the sun for too long (hindsight) but well hydrated with rest breaks between matches. Quite a regular thing (fortnightly) for her to do.. She felt fine playing tennis and driving home.
Got home, started feeling dizzy, vomiting, heavy breathing. Phoned 111 who said take to UTC immediately. Got to UTC and was put in a wheelchair and had no strength. Sat waiting after triage which had shown normal blood pressure and temp. She said she felt like she was burning up.
Next she collapsed out the wheelchair onto the waiting room floor vomiting and shaking violently. Alarms go off and doctors and nurses appear from everywhere. She was utterly delirious. ECG result not good judging by nurses reaction and promptly leaving the cubicle.
She was lucky, this episode happened where it did.
She is still on two drips with saline and phosphates, hopefully released tomorrow.
It all happened so quickly, but just to warn others to keep a watchful eye for any of these symptoms to react quickly.
Wife was playing tennis on Friday lunchtime She is healthy, active and fit 50 year old. She was out in the sun for too long (hindsight) but well hydrated with rest breaks between matches. Quite a regular thing (fortnightly) for her to do.. She felt fine playing tennis and driving home.
Got home, started feeling dizzy, vomiting, heavy breathing. Phoned 111 who said take to UTC immediately. Got to UTC and was put in a wheelchair and had no strength. Sat waiting after triage which had shown normal blood pressure and temp. She said she felt like she was burning up.
Next she collapsed out the wheelchair onto the waiting room floor vomiting and shaking violently. Alarms go off and doctors and nurses appear from everywhere. She was utterly delirious. ECG result not good judging by nurses reaction and promptly leaving the cubicle.
She was lucky, this episode happened where it did.
She is still on two drips with saline and phosphates, hopefully released tomorrow.
It all happened so quickly, but just to warn others to keep a watchful eye for any of these symptoms to react quickly.
mike9009 said:
It has been a bit of a strange weekend.
Wife was playing tennis on Friday lunchtime She is healthy, active and fit 50 year old. She was out in the sun for too long (hindsight) but well hydrated with rest breaks between matches. Quite a regular thing (fortnightly) for her to do.. She felt fine playing tennis and driving home.
Got home, started feeling dizzy, vomiting, heavy breathing. Phoned 111 who said take to UTC immediately. Got to UTC and was put in a wheelchair and had no strength. Sat waiting after triage which had shown normal blood pressure and temp. She said she felt like she was burning up.
Next she collapsed out the wheelchair onto the waiting room floor vomiting and shaking violently. Alarms go off and doctors and nurses appear from everywhere. She was utterly delirious. ECG result not good judging by nurses reaction and promptly leaving the cubicle.
She was lucky, this episode happened where it did.
She is still on two drips with saline and phosphates, hopefully released tomorrow.
It all happened so quickly, but just to warn others to keep a watchful eye for any of these symptoms to react quickly.
Sorry to hear of this, hope your missus makes a full recovery.Wife was playing tennis on Friday lunchtime She is healthy, active and fit 50 year old. She was out in the sun for too long (hindsight) but well hydrated with rest breaks between matches. Quite a regular thing (fortnightly) for her to do.. She felt fine playing tennis and driving home.
Got home, started feeling dizzy, vomiting, heavy breathing. Phoned 111 who said take to UTC immediately. Got to UTC and was put in a wheelchair and had no strength. Sat waiting after triage which had shown normal blood pressure and temp. She said she felt like she was burning up.
Next she collapsed out the wheelchair onto the waiting room floor vomiting and shaking violently. Alarms go off and doctors and nurses appear from everywhere. She was utterly delirious. ECG result not good judging by nurses reaction and promptly leaving the cubicle.
She was lucky, this episode happened where it did.
She is still on two drips with saline and phosphates, hopefully released tomorrow.
It all happened so quickly, but just to warn others to keep a watchful eye for any of these symptoms to react quickly.
It was not uncommon at Sandhurst. Some of stuff you do pushes you fairly hard physically.
On the log race I saw a guy turn green. I've obviously heard the saying a thousand times but I've never actually seen someone turn green until then. A good few weeks in hospital and a 4 month back term.
I'm not a medic but I believe the core body temperature can get so high that enzymes start denaturing and you get very ill, very quickly.
On the log race I saw a guy turn green. I've obviously heard the saying a thousand times but I've never actually seen someone turn green until then. A good few weeks in hospital and a 4 month back term.
I'm not a medic but I believe the core body temperature can get so high that enzymes start denaturing and you get very ill, very quickly.
Thanks all, she will be fine now, but might have been a different story. Hopefully collect her later this morning.
I 'think' she will probably need to take some electrolyte powders (or similar) to have prevented it. I also think because she is normally so active, adrenaline kept her going though the match and only when her heart rate returned to normal all the symptoms came on. Weird the triage did not detect anything because she looked and was acting dreadfully.
And they lost the match!
And she threw up twice in my car
But she will be okay
I 'think' she will probably need to take some electrolyte powders (or similar) to have prevented it. I also think because she is normally so active, adrenaline kept her going though the match and only when her heart rate returned to normal all the symptoms came on. Weird the triage did not detect anything because she looked and was acting dreadfully.
And they lost the match!
And she threw up twice in my car
But she will be okay
Had it before myself 3 tmes now over the years, although not quite that bad.
Generally with me it is pure heat rather than sun though, first time was in a small flat-roofed cinema that had been closed up all day in baking heat, we arrived for a presentation & they literally only opened one door to let us in, within the hour I was vomiting closely followed by diarrhea and rinse repeat for a couple of hours.
Was taken into sickbay (RN at the time) and was much the same for a few hours, then in the middle of the night basically collapsed in my bed to such an extent that they couldn't wake me in the morning, did my stats etc & decided to leave me, but checked back regularly. I eventually woke up mid afternoon with a raging hunger & thirst, weak as a kitten & extremely lethargic, after another night I was pretty much OK.
Each time was different versions of similar.
Hope your good lady is well on the road to recovery by now.
Generally with me it is pure heat rather than sun though, first time was in a small flat-roofed cinema that had been closed up all day in baking heat, we arrived for a presentation & they literally only opened one door to let us in, within the hour I was vomiting closely followed by diarrhea and rinse repeat for a couple of hours.
Was taken into sickbay (RN at the time) and was much the same for a few hours, then in the middle of the night basically collapsed in my bed to such an extent that they couldn't wake me in the morning, did my stats etc & decided to leave me, but checked back regularly. I eventually woke up mid afternoon with a raging hunger & thirst, weak as a kitten & extremely lethargic, after another night I was pretty much OK.
Each time was different versions of similar.
Hope your good lady is well on the road to recovery by now.
She is now home.
Talking through with her in the car on the way back, she was wearing her hat (as normal), had eaten porridge before, had a banana half way through, plus carbs ( sandwiches). Plus two bottles of water and lucozade sport. She is very fair skinned so probably more susceptible?
The consultant recommended coconut water to help too - not heard that one before?
She indicated most people in the hospital locally to her were being treated for dehydration.
She is nagging again for chores so everything good.
'Mad dogs and Englishmen' indeed.
Talking through with her in the car on the way back, she was wearing her hat (as normal), had eaten porridge before, had a banana half way through, plus carbs ( sandwiches). Plus two bottles of water and lucozade sport. She is very fair skinned so probably more susceptible?
The consultant recommended coconut water to help too - not heard that one before?
She indicated most people in the hospital locally to her were being treated for dehydration.
She is nagging again for chores so everything good.
'Mad dogs and Englishmen' indeed.
Sun stroke is better called heat stroke. Your body normally manages to maintain your core temperature in a narrow window by shivering, sweating, and making you feel too hot or too cold so that you're motivated to do something about it. Like hypothermia, heat stroke is caused when your body is unable to control your core temperature. Heat stroke is caused by you overheating. If your ability to sweat is compromised by dehydration, that can contribute to the problem, but the key thing is not to generate or absorb more heat than your body can dissipate. Don't exercise too hard, don't cook in direct sunlight.
Nasty business heat stroke, glad your mrs is ok now. Should be talked about more rather than just the risk of sun burn/skin cancer.
Even though I’ve been through it a few times I very nearly done myself in again a few weeks ago in the midday/early afternoon heat. Creeps up on you later in the day.
I need to look into better forms of hydration as plain water just doesn’t seem to do the job for me, and potentially makes things worse!?
I know about coconut water and electrolyte tablets etc but i need to get more clued up about options when they’re not available at the time.
Even though I’ve been through it a few times I very nearly done myself in again a few weeks ago in the midday/early afternoon heat. Creeps up on you later in the day.
I need to look into better forms of hydration as plain water just doesn’t seem to do the job for me, and potentially makes things worse!?
I know about coconut water and electrolyte tablets etc but i need to get more clued up about options when they’re not available at the time.
Dr.Hellno said:
I know about coconut water and electrolyte tablets etc but i need to get more clued up about options when they re not available at the time.
I'd just drink plain water and keep something like salted peanuts or crisps around, eating some as you feel like it. And avoid that midday sun.Dr.Hellno said:
I know about coconut water and electrolyte tablets etc but i need to get more clued up about options when they re not available at the time.
Half a teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar with about a litre of water does the trick. You need the sugar for your body to be able to absorb the salt (which is why sugar free hydration drinks are dumb).Flavoured ORS tabs are far tastier though!
ecs said:
Half a teaspoon of salt and 6 teaspoons of sugar with about a litre of water does the trick. You need the sugar for your body to be able to absorb the salt (which is why sugar free hydration drinks are dumb).
Flavoured ORS tabs are far tastier though!
Fine in an emergency, but diluting squash with some salt added is going to be more palatable.Flavoured ORS tabs are far tastier though!
mike9009 said:
She is now home.
Talking through with her in the car on the way back, she was wearing her hat (as normal), had eaten porridge before, had a banana half way through, plus carbs ( sandwiches). Plus two bottles of water and lucozade sport. She is very fair skinned so probably more susceptible?
The consultant recommended coconut water to help too - not heard that one before?
She indicated most people in the hospital locally to her were being treated for dehydration.
She is nagging again for chores so everything good.
'Mad dogs and Englishmen' indeed.
Assuming still on the island...........Busiest period they have had according to Mrs LL..........glad to hear she's you nagging again......always a good sign Talking through with her in the car on the way back, she was wearing her hat (as normal), had eaten porridge before, had a banana half way through, plus carbs ( sandwiches). Plus two bottles of water and lucozade sport. She is very fair skinned so probably more susceptible?
The consultant recommended coconut water to help too - not heard that one before?
She indicated most people in the hospital locally to her were being treated for dehydration.
She is nagging again for chores so everything good.
'Mad dogs and Englishmen' indeed.
Gassing Station | Health Matters | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff