Hot weather causes serious and minor emergencies for kids and adults. Same as the winter season, high temperature also affects human activities – more often to go swimming, spend time outdoors, and many more – as well as our body behavior and health.
During each season, different cases of first aid emergencies arise, which we always need to be prepared for.
Here are the most common first aid emergencies during the hot season and how to treat them.
HEAT STROKE
Is when the body temperature goes really high (above 39.4°C /103°F, orally) that results in the failure of the body’s temperature control system as well as its sweat mechanism.
Symptoms:
- Extreme body heat/ skin temperature
- Reddish skin (no sweat)
- Fast, strong pulse
- Nausea and a throbbing headache
- Seizure, Convulsion
- Loss of consciousness
First Aid Treatment:
- Call your local emergency hotline (Dial 998 for UAE)
- Relive body heat by; applying an ice pack on the armpits, neck, and groin; spraying cool water or applying wet cloth over the patient’s body; move the patient under a cool, shaded place; loosen clothes.
- If the patient is undergoing seizure, clear the area for probable injuries
- If the patient is vomiting, keep his/her airway open by turning the body sideways.
- It’s important to keep the patient from drinking any liquid when he/she is vomiting or not yet alert.
DEHYDRATION
Is the reaction of a body that has no enough water supply that happens mostly during hot weather because the body loses its fluid quicker in high temperature.
Symptoms:
- Inelastic skin with lack of sweat
- Dry mouth
- Disorientation
- Low blood pressure
- Fever/fatigue
- Fast heartbeat
- Dizziness/headache
First Aid Treatment:
- Rehydrate the body by taking clear fluids such as water or electrolyte drinks.
- Move indoors or away from direct sunlight to help the body eliminate its high temperature.
- Avoid drinking coffee, tea, and sodas for these have high caffeine content that worsens dehydration.
DROWNING
Swimming and any kind of water activities are at its peak during summer. However, drowning emergencies is its downside.
Drowning is when the brain and lungs get damaged due to oxygen deprivation from being submerged in water for at least 30 seconds for a normal adult. The patient will lose consciousness and life is extremely at risk if not treated immediately.
Symptoms:
- Accelerated heart rate / no heartbeat
- Unresponsive
- Pale, blueish lips
- No breathing
First Aid Treatment:
- Remove the patient from the water by calling a lifeguard. If there’s none, do this without putting yourself in danger.
- Call the emergency hotline right away.
- Administer CPR with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
INSECT & MARINE ANIMAL STING
During summer, insects tend to go out of their habitats and roam around more often. This goes similarly to humans going to the beach during summer.
A person is stung when he/she has been injected a poison from an insect or a marine animal that causes allergic reaction, skin irritation, and sometimes, death. This organ may be sharp and pointy on insects and varies in marine animals.
Symptoms:
- Painful, itchy, reddish rash
- Blisters (usually from jellyfish)
- Bleeding wound
- Swelling spots on the skin
- Muscle numbness/paralysis
- Trouble breathing
First Aid Treatment:
- Remove the sting – spike, hair, or anything that is injected on the patient’s skin. You may wipe the area sideways to scrape the insect hair or use sticky tape stroked sideways. For pointy insect sting punctured through the skin, you may use tweezers to carefully pluck it out.
- Wash the area with soap and clean water.
- Apply a cold compress to the area for at least 10 minutes.
- Elevate the arms or legs if the infected area is located there.
- Apply .05 to 1% hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion to the area several times daily until the symptoms go away.
- For extreme symptoms such as swollen face or mouth, difficulty in breathing or swallowing, fever, dizziness/vomiting, fast heart rate, or feeling faint, visit the doctor.
SPRAIN AND MUSCLE INJURIES
There are sports and other physical activities that are perfect during summer where mild to severe injuries may happen when; a person has not taken proper warm-up exercises that could cause torn muscles; when a person loses balance that will result in stretched ligaments or even bone fracture.
Symptoms:
- Swelling joint
- Pain/soreness during movement
- Felling your joint pop during the incident
- Bruising/discoloration
First Aid Treatment:
- Rest your muscles and avoid activities
- Apply an ice pack to the area for 15 minutes and repeat every 2-3 hours
- Wrap the area with a bandage with an adequate tightness to relieve swelling
- Keep the injured area levitated above your heart level to drain the muscle’s excess fluid to reduce swelling.
- Visit the doctor if the pain is unbearable not reduced or if joint is still unstable for a long period of time.
SUNBURN
Is when the skin is exposed to sunlight for a long period of time that results in mild to serious skin damage such as skin cancer.
Symptoms:
- Red, itchy skin
- Irritation
- Sore/pain
First Aid Treatment:
- Apply a wet towel to cool the skin
- Consistently apply a mild skin moisturizer to help rehydrate the skin while peeling
- Drink plenty of fluid to keep the skin hydrated.
- Avoid direct sunlight exposure or use extra clothing for skin protection. Don’t apply sunscreen directly to damaged skin. Apply only once the area is completely healed ( use SPF 50 – above ) to avoid experiencing the same issue.
- If the skin is too damaged – blisters present or if a large area is affected – don’t use over the counter ointment without proper prescription as it may cause more irritation. Visit the doctor when needed.
Be prepared with summer emergencies; make sure you have the following essential tools so you can act whenever someone needs help:
- Sanitizing wipes
- Latex gloves
- Bandages of all sizes
- Instant ice packs
- Saline solution
- Cotton balls and cotton swabs
- Insect repellant
- Sunscreen
- Tweezers
- Antiseptic towelettes
- Calamine lotion
- Outdoor first aid kit set
Source:
https://www.acg.edu/ckeditor_assets/attachments/2171/KTF_First_Aid_for_Hot_Weather_Emergencies.pdf
https://www.surefirecpr.com/10-common-summer-safety-emergencies/
https://www.gohealthuc.com/library/summer-first-aid-tips
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/heat-stroke-treatment
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/insect-bites-and-stings/treatment/
https://www.healthline.com/health/strains#treatment
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/muscle-strains/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20450520
https://www.healthline.com/health/strains#treatment
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sunburn/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355928