Filenews 8 June 2024 - by Marilena Panayi
The enemy of man is very high temperatures, especially when they are recorded for more than 4 to 5 days since over time the body weakens and the appearance of symptoms becomes more likely.
The elderly, people with chronic diseases and young children are generally most at risk, although none are excluded from the equation.
According to the relevant announcements of the Ministry of Health, they face a greater risk:
- Infants, young children and the elderly (especially the elderly who live alone and do not have anyone to help them during the heatwave)
- People who work or exercise intensely outdoors and indoors with high temperature and humidity
- Those in areas with increased air pollution (industrial areas – exhaust gases)
- People suffering from chronic diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure, blood pressure disorders, cardiovascular diseases, liver diseases, lung diseases, obesity, mental illness, dementia, alcoholism)
- People taking certain medications (e.g. insulin, antidiabetics, diuretics, anticholinergics, psychiatric drugs)
- Women during pregnancy
- People with disabilities
- Socially isolated people
The consequences of prolonged exposure to very high temperatures are, mainly, heat exhaustion and in more serious situations heat stroke.
Heat exhaustion: it is a temporary weakness of the cardiovascular system. It occurs after prolonged exposure (hours or days) of the person to extremely high temperatures.
Heat stroke: The human body has a mechanism that helps the body adapt to the temperature of the environment. Under certain conditions and depending on the time during which humans are exposed to high temperatures, this mechanism is affected and the body's inability to expel heat occurs.
Greater risk of developing symptoms are:
- People over 65 years old
- People with heart failure, kidney disease, liver dyspraxia
- People who consume alcohol or sedative drugs such as anticathartic drugs or preparations of phenothiazines, antiparkinsonians, etc.
- People with a history of previous heat stroke.
- Obese people
- People who work in open spaces for a long time.
When people start to be affected by the heat, they develop specific symptoms that could act as a warning as they gradually intensify:
Initial symptoms may be:
- strong headache
- listlessness
- feeling overwhelmed
- tendency to faint
- drop in blood pressure
- nausea
- Vomiting
- rapid heartbeat
When the person begins to develop symptoms of heat stroke, it is observed:
- sudden increase in body temperature ( >40.5οC)
- red, hot and dry skin (sweating has stopped)
- dry tongue
- rapid heartbeat
- tachypnoea - rapid and shallow breathing
- intense thirst
- headache
- nausea
- Vomiting
- daze
- inability to orient and speak clearly
- aggressive or strange behaviour
- Convulsions
- loss of consciousness or coma
(In case the above symptoms occur, citizens are advised to contact their personal doctor).
When we notice these symptoms in a person next to us:
- We transfer the patient without delay to a cool place
- We remove heavy clothes
- We place cold compresses
We administer plenty of water and transfer the patient to an Accident and Emergency Department or, if his condition requires it, we call an ambulance.
