Safety Tips & Planning
Following these simple, common-sense tips will not only reduce your risk of injury but make your experience out on the trail even more enjoyable!
Following these simple, common-sense tips will not only reduce your risk of injury but make your experience out on the trail even more enjoyable!
When the body's mechanisms to decrease body heat are overwhelmed and the body is unable to tolerate the excessive heat, illness develops.
High temperatures and humidity, along with excessive sweating, can cause the body to lose fluid and electrolytes very quickly. Illness from heat exposure can take the following three forms: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
Heat exhaustion is the most common serious illness caused by the heat. Heat exposure, stress and fatigue are causes of heat exhaustion, which is due to the loss of water and electrolytes from heavy sweating. For sweating to be effective as a cooling mechanism, the sweat must be able to evaporate from the body. Heavy clothing or high humidity will decrease the amount of evaporation that can occur.
Common signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
Treatment includes removing any excessive layers of clothing, particularly around the head and neck, moving the person out of the heat and/or direct sunlight, encouraging the person to lie down with feet elevated, and if fully alert, encourage them to slowly drink water. If the person does not feel better with rest and fluids or gets worse, seek immediate medical care.
Heatstroke is the least common, but most serious, illness caused by heat exposure. It occurs when the body is subjected to more heat than it can handle and normal mechanisms for getting rid of the excess heat are overwhelmed. The body temperature rises rapidly to a level at which tissues are destroyed. Untreated heat stroke always results in death.
Patients with heatstroke have hot, dry, flushed skin because their sweating mechanism has been overwhelmed. However, in the early stages of heatstroke, the skin may still be moist or wet. Often, the first sign of heatstroke is a change in behavior. However, the person becomes unresponsive very quickly.
Recovery from heatstroke depends on the speed with which treatment is received. If heatstroke is suspected, move the person into an air conditioned area, remove clothing, apply cool packs to the neck, groin and armpits, cover with cool towels or sheets, fan them repeated, and call 911 or transport immediately to the hospital.