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Heat-related Illness
Heat illness is a spectrum of disorders due to increased body temperature. It can be caused by either environmental conditions or by exertion. It includes minor conditions such as heat cramps, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion as well as the more severe condition known as heat stroke. It can affect any or all anatomical systems. Classification A number of heat illnesses exist including: * Heat stroke - Defined by a body temperature of greater than due to environmental heat exposure with lack of thermoregulation. Symptoms include dry skin, rapid, strong pulse and dizziness. * Heat exhaustion - Can be a precursor of heatstroke; the symptoms include heavy sweating, rapid breathing and a fast, weak pulse. * Heat syncope - Fainting or dizziness as a result of overheating. * Heat edema * Heat cramps - Muscle pains that happen during heavy exercise in hot weather. * Heat rash - Skin irritation from excessive sweating. * Heat tetany - Usually results from short periods of stress in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine is the medical speciality concerned with the care of illnesses or injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency physicians (often called “ER doctors” in the United States) continuously learn to care for unscheduled and undifferentiated patients of all ages. As first-line providers, in coordination with Emergency Medical Services, they are primarily responsible for initiating resuscitation and stabilization and performing the initial investigations and interventions necessary to diagnose and treat illnesses or injuries in the acute phase. Emergency physicians generally practise in hospital emergency departments, pre-hospital settings via emergency medical services, and intensive care units. Still, they may also work in primary care settings such as urgent care clinics. Sub-specializations of emergency medicine include; disaster medicine, medical toxicology, point-of-care ultrasonography, critical care medicine, emergency medical service ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke or heatstroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat illness that results in a body temperature greater than , along with red skin, headache, dizziness, and confusion. Sweating is generally present in exertional heatstroke, but not in classic heatstroke. The start of heat stroke can be sudden or gradual. Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition due to the potential for multi-organ dysfunction, with typical complications including seizures, rhabdomyolysis, or kidney failure. Heat stroke occurs because of high external temperatures and/or physical exertion. It usually occurs under preventable prolonged exposure to extreme environmental or exertional heat. However, certain health conditions can increase the risk of heat stroke, and patients, especially children, with certain genetic predispositions are vulnerable to heatstroke under relatively mild conditions. Preventive measures include drinking sufficient fluids and avoiding excessive heat. Treatment ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Thermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature as its own body temperature, thus avoiding the need for internal thermoregulation. The internal thermoregulation process is one aspect of homeostasis: a state of dynamic stability in an organism's internal conditions, maintained far from thermal equilibrium with its environment (the study of such processes in zoology has been called physiological ecology). If the body is unable to maintain a normal temperature and it increases significantly above normal, a condition known as hyperthermia occurs. Humans may also experience lethal hyperthermia when the wet bulb temperature is sustained above for six hours. The opposite condition, when body temperature decreases below normal levels, is known as hypothermia. It results when the homeostati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a severe form of heat illness. It is a medical emergency. Heat exhaustion is caused by the loss of water and electrolytes through sweating. The United States Department of Labor makes the following recommendation, "Heat illness can be prevented. Remember these three things: water, rest, and shade." Causes Common causes of heat exhaustion include: * Hot, sunny, humid weather * Physical exertion, especially in hot, humid weather * Due to impaired thermoregulation, elderly people and infants can get serious heat illness even at rest, if the weather outside is hot and humid, and they are not getting enough cool air. * Some drugs, such as diuretics, antihistamines, beta-blockers, alcohol, MDMA ('Ecstasy', 'Molly'), and other amphetamines can cause an increase in the risk of heat exhaustion. Especially during physical exertion, risk factors for heat exhaustion include: * Wearing dark, padded, or insulated clothing; hats; and/or helmets (for example, football pads, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat Syncope
Heat syncope is fainting or dizziness as a result of overheating (''syncope'' is the medical term for fainting). It is a type of heat illness. The basic symptom of heat syncope is fainting, with or without mental confusion. Heat syncope is caused by peripheral vessel dilation, resulting in diminished blood flow to the brain and dehydration. Signs and symptoms Faintness, dizziness, headache, increased pulse, restlessness, nausea, vomiting, pale/clammy skin, and brief loss of consciousness. Causes Heat syncope occurs in a warm environment when blood pressure is lowered as the body dilates (widens) arterioles (small blood vessel Blood vessels are the structures of the circulatory system that transport blood throughout the human body. These vessels transport blood cells, nutrients, and oxygen to the tissues of the body. They also take waste and carbon dioxide away from ...s) in the skin to radiate heat. This condition occurs within five days of heat acclimatization, b ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat Edema
Heat edema is a cutaneous condition characterized by dependent edema from vasodilatory pooling. Heat causes the blood vessels to expand (dilate), so body fluid moves into the hands or legs by gravity. The balance of salt in the body is also a risk factor for heat edema. If salt loss is less than normal, the increased salt level draws fluid into the hands and legs. Older adults have an increased risk of heat edema, especially if they have other medical conditions that affect their circulation. People visiting hot climates from colder climates may also have an increased risk of heat edema. See also * Heat illness * List of cutaneous conditions Many skin conditions affect the human integumentary system—the organ system covering the entire surface of the body and composed of skin, hair, nails, and related muscle and glands. The major function of this system is as a barrier agai ... References Skin conditions resulting from physical factors {{Dermatology-st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Heat Cramps
Heat cramps, a type of heat illness, are muscle spasms that result from loss of large amount of salt and water through exercise. Heat cramps are associated with cramping in the abdomen, arms and calves. This can be caused by inadequate consumption of fluids or electrolytes. Auerbach Paul S Wilderness Medicine. 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo: Mosby; 2001:240-316. Heavy sweating causes heat cramps, especially when the water is replaced without also replacing salt or potassium. Although heat cramps can be quite painful, they usually don't result in permanent damage, though they can be a symptom of heat stroke or heat exhaustion. Heat cramps can indicate a more severe problem in someone with heart disease or if they last for longer than an hour. In order to prevent them, one may drink electrolyte solutions such as sports drinks during exercise or strenuous work or eat potassium-rich foods like bananas and apples. When heat cramps occur, the affected person should avoid strenuous work ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Miliaria Rubra
Miliaria, also called heat rash, sweat rash, or prickly heat, is a skin disease marked by small, itchy rashes due to sweat trapped under the skin by clogged sweat-gland ducts. Miliaria is a common ailment in hot and humid conditions, such as in the tropics and during the summer. Although it affects people of all ages, it is especially common in children and infants due to their underdeveloped sweat glands. Signs and symptoms Symptoms of miliaria include small, red rashes, called papules, which are irritated and itchy. These may simultaneously occur at a number of areas on a patient's body, the most common including the upper chest, neck, elbow creases, under the breasts, and under the scrotum. Other areas include skin folds and areas of the body that may rub against clothing, such as the back, chest, and stomach. A related and sometimes simultaneous condition is folliculitis, where hair follicles become plugged with foreign matter, resulting in inflammation. The symptoms re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
