Heat-related illnesses rise with temperatures

Friday, July 12, 2002 | 11:17 a.m.

In addition to the common sunburn, there are four major heat illnesses, ranging from a minor heat rash to a life-threatening heat stroke.

Symptoms: Red, hot and dry skin with no sweating, body temperature above 103, rapid pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, confusion and even unconsciousness.

Treatment: Call medical assistance and immediately try to cool the person down to 101 to 102 degrees using a cool bath or a cool, wet sheet.

Symptoms: Heavy sweating, muscle cramps, tiredness, dizziness, headache, nausea, vomiting and fainting.

Treatment: Cool the person down using a cool bath or cool, wet towels, allow them to rest in an air-conditioned environment and replenish them with non-alcoholic and non-caffeinated beverages.

Symptoms: Muscle spasms and pains created by the loss of salt and moisture in the muscles from strenuous activities in the heat.

Treatment: Stop all activity and rest in a cool, shaded area. Drinks lots of fluids, specifically sports drinks that replenish salt and minerals in the body. Do not return to strenuous activity for several hours, as further exertion may lead to heat exhaustion.

Symptoms: A red cluster of pimples or small blisters, usually on the neck and upper chest, caused by excessive sweating.

Treatment: Move to a cooler environment and keep the affected area dry. A dusting powder, not ointments or creams, is the best way to treat the rash.

Source: Clark County Health District

News flash: It's hot outside.

What may not be so obvious is that the heat can kill if proper precautions aren't taken to prevent and treat heat illnesses, local doctors say.

This week, as the mercury topped 110, emergency room doctors at University Medical Center have been seeing three to four patients with symptoms of heat exhaustion every day, mostly outside workers or tourists not acclimated to the desert heat, spokesman Rick Plummer said.

Ambulance services such as Southwest Ambulance Co. have also found that a large number of their calls turn out to be heat-related illnesses as patients experience symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness or muscle cramps.

At high noon Thursday in 101-degree heat, tourists were still roaming the Strip freely. Other visitors, such as Wisconsin native Jonathan Liberty, was protecting himself from the heat by focusing on the air-conditioned sites the Strip offered.

"I stayed out of (the heat) all day yesterday, but when I'm in it -- whew," Liberty said.

Illnesses from too much sun range from heat rashes and cramps to heat exhaustion and stroke, and the severity ranges from mild discomfort to death, according to the Clark County Health District. Children, the elderly and and people with additional health risks such as heart disease, obesity and poor circulation are at a greater risk.

You can avoid the danger by avoiding the heat, keeping cool and drinking lots of fluids, but if you have to go outside, the best bet is to listen to your body, doctors said.

"If you start to feel funny, stop what you are doing, get some fluids, get into the shade and just rest for a little while," Dr. Dale Carrison, director of UMC Emergency Services, said.

The desert temperatures make heat exhaustion and dehydration a daily reality for emergency room doctors, but the dry climate also takes away the risk of the illness escalating into heat stroke, Carrison said.

In more humid climates, the moisture in the air makes it difficult to perspire, the body's natural method of cooling itself. With this defense mechanism clogged, internal body temperatures can rise to 106 degrees within 15 to 20 minutes, and essentially the body "begins to cook itself," Carrison said.

Some Las Vegans may experience symptoms of heat exhaustion, such as tiredness, dizziness or headache, from just a few minutes in the heat if they spend most of their time in an air-conditioned setting, Carrison said. Those who spend significant time outdoors do better at acclimating themselves to the hotter temperatures, he said.

Physical education teachers in Silverado High School's summer school program have helped their 400 students adapt to the heat by giving frequent water breaks and moving classes indoors as necessary, site administrator Amy Rozer said.

Green Valley High School sophomore Colleen Ormand said that she and her classmates learned to bring water after the first day, when many of them showed up in June in regular school clothes such as jeans and long sleeves.

"We all thought we had signed up for movies and indoor activities, and they made us play soccer," Ormand said.

The teens are now just annoyed with the rising temperatures.

"It's really hot," Ormand said. "We played paddle tennis today on the asphalt, and we were all soaking wet because of the heat."