Alright, friends. We’ve talked about the small stuff: wobbly
standing, cranky muscles, puffy ankles, itchy rashes, and sunburns that make you
look like a tomato. Now we need to talk about the two villains that actually deserve
your fear. Not panic, fear is useful. Panic is not.

Heat exhaustion and heat Stroke are the heavy hitters
of the Dog Days. One is a serious warning. The other is a life-threatening emergency.
Knowing the difference, and what to do about each, could save your life or your
neighbor’s.

Heat Exhaustion (The Warning Shot)

Heat exhaustion is your body screaming, “I am NOT okay!” It’s
the stage right before things get really bad. The symptoms are hard to ignore, but
we’re stubborn creatures, aren’t we? We tell ourselves, “I just need to finish this
one thing.” Don’t.

Signs of heat exhaustion:

• Heavy sweating
  (but the skin may feel cool and clammy)
• Weakness
  or fatigue that feels extreme
• Dizziness
  or feeling like you might faint
• Nausea
  or an upset stomach
• Headache
  that won’t quit
• Fast, weak
  pulse
• Muscle
  cramps (hello, old friend)
• Dark urine
  (you’re dehydrated)

What to do immediately (and I mean immediately):

1. Get
   out of the heat. Go inside. Find air conditioning. If you can’t get inside,
   find deep shade, under a tree or a covered porch.
2. Lie
   down and put your feet up slightly.
3. Drink
   cool water or a sports drink. Sip, don’t chug. Chugging can upset your
   stomach more.
4. Apply
   cool cloths to your neck, armpits, and groin. That’s where large blood
   vessels live, so cooling those spots cools your whole body faster.
5. Take
   off any extra clothing (do this in private or don’t, I’m not here to judge).

Here’s the crucial part: You should start feeling better
within 30 minutes. If you don’t, or if you start vomiting, call your doctor or go
to urgent care. Heat exhaustion that doesn’t resolve can slip into heat stroke,
and that’s where we stop messing around.

Heat Stroke (The 911 Emergency)

Heat stroke is not a joke. It is not a “tough it out” situation.
It is your body’s cooling system failing completely. You stop sweating. Your internal
temperature climbs above 103°F or 104°F. And your brain starts to get cooked, literally.

Signs of heat stroke:

• Hot,
  dry, red skin (no sweating, even though you’re burning up)
• Confusion,
  slurred speech, or agitation (person seems drunk or not making sense)
• Throbbing
  headache that’s worse than any migraine
• Loss
  of Consciousness (passing out and not waking up quickly)
• Rapid,
  strong pulse (feels like your heart is trying to escape)
• Seizures
  (this is very, very bad)

What to do if you suspect heat stroke (in yourself or someone
else):

1. Call
   911 immediately. Do not wait. Do not “see if it gets better.” Do not drive
   yourself to the hospital unless there is literally no other option. Call an
   ambulance.
2. Move
   the person to a cooler place while waiting.
3. Cool
   them by any means possible. Ice packs on the neck, armpits, and groin.
   Cool water sprayed on the skin with fans blowing. If they’re alert enough to
   drink, give cool water, but if they’re confused or unconscious, do NOT give
   anything by mouth, they could choke.
4. Do
   not give fever medication like Tylenol or ibuprofen. This isn’t a fever;
   it’s environmental overheating. Those pills won’t work and can hurt the kidneys.

The best news? Heat stroke is almost entirely preventable.
And prevention looks exactly like everything we’ve talked about all week:

• Hydrate
  before, during, and after being outside.
• Take
  breaks in the shade or air conditioning every 20-30 minutes.
• Wear
  light-colored, loose clothing.
• Avoid
  the hottest part of the day (10 AM to 4 PM).
• Check
  on neighbors, especially if they live alone and don’t have good AC.
• Know
  your limits. The person you were at 40 is not the person you are at 75. That’s
  not a failure. That’s Wisdom.

A final Dog Days blessing:

May your water glass always be full. May your air conditioner
hum like a happy bee. May you remember to put your feet up, wear your silly wide-brimmed
hat, and laugh at Sirius from the comfort of your shaded porch. The ancient Romans
thought the dog star would drive them mad. You know better. You’ll drink your pickle
juice, wiggle your toes, and come inside before the world starts spinning.

And if you forget? If you overdo it? Call for help. That’s not
weakness. That’s surviving the Dog Days like the seasoned, clever, wonderfully weathered
human you are.

Stay cool, friends. The dog star will move on. And so will you.

Originally Published on https://boomersnotsenior.blogspot.com/

Royce Shook Blogger

I served as a teacher, a teacher on Call, a Department Head, a District Curriculum, Specialist, a Program Coordinator, and a Provincial Curriculum Coordinator over a forty year career. In addition, I was the Department Head for Curriculum and Instruction, as well as a professor both online and in person at the University of Phoenix (Canada) from 2000-2010.

I also worked with Special Needs students. I gave workshops on curriculum development and staff training before I fully retired