Home Remedies for Heat Exhaustion
Feeling overheated is not only uncomfortable, but also threatens your overall health. Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, are responsible for hundreds of deaths every year in the United States. To ease symptoms and prevent further complications, home remedies for heat exhaustion can help the body rejuvenate.
Causes and Symptoms
Heat exhaustion occurs when your body gets too hot and it is unable to keep itself cool. Normally, your body stays cool when your sweat evaporates as air temperatures rise. However, increased moisture in the air can slow down the evaporation of sweat. This is typical of a hot, humid summer day or when you experience intense physical exercise.
Other causes of heat exhaustion include dehydration, drinking alcohol, and wearing too many layers of clothing [1] – all of which affects your ability to sweat. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, weakness, confusion, body cramping, excessive thirst, dizziness, low blood pressure, headaches, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and dark-colored urine, which is an indication of dehydration [2]. Certain jobs place people at a higher risk for suffering heat exhaustion. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), construction and crop workers are amongst the most vulnerable.
Heat Exhaustion Home Remedies
While taking in the sights of a hot, summer day is an enjoyable activity, it can turn into a scary experience when your body cannot keep cool. To stay out of the danger zone, knowing helpful home remedies for heat exhaustion can become a real life saver. A handful of suggestions include:
a) Apple Cider Vinegar:
Add one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water to replace any electrolytes and minerals lost through sweating. The vinegar replenishes the body in the same way that sports drinks do.
b) Cool Compress:
Place a cool cloth on the back of the neck, forehead and wrists to help cool down the body and alleviate some of the discomfort of heat exhaustion.
c) Stay Hydrated:
Keeping the body hydrated, especially in hot weather, is important. It is suggested to drink at least eight ounces of water before going outdoors. In an ideal situation, drinking another cup of water every 10 to 15 minutes will treat and prevent heat exhaustion.
d) Spray Bottle:
Keep a spray bottle filled with cool water close to you – especially during hot, humid days. This will help prevent and resolve a case of heat exhaustion.
e) Sweatband:
Cool down your body by wearing a headband, which collects sweat on your brow and helps keep you from overheating.
f) Water Bucket or Garden Hose:
If someone is battling heat exhaustion in the backyard, immediately respond by pouring a bucket of water over their head or spraying with a garden hose [3].
g) Fan:
Wet the clothing of a person with heat exhaustion and put them in front of a fan. When the water evaporates on the skin, it creates a cooling effect.
h) Don’t Disrobe:
If you are susceptible to heat exhaustion, keep your shirt on when outside. For example, those who play basketball on a sunny day can use their sweaty shirt as a cooling device. When the wind goes through the material, the perspiration cools the body.
i) Peel Away Layers:
However, if you are already suffering the effects of heat exhaustion, remove unnecessary pieces of clothing and stay in lightweight materials that don’t cling to the skin.
j) Bandana:
Soak a bandana in cold water and wrap around your forehead to cool down your body.
k) Elevate Your Feet:
To get rid of the dizziness associated with heat exhaustion, elevate your feet to encourage blood flow to return back to the brain.
l) Fruits and Vegetables:
The fairly high water content and salts found in many fruits and vegetables can help treat a case of heat exhaustion. The body will also benefit from the replacement of vitamins and minerals that were lost in sweat. Watermelon, cold grapes, tomatoes, and cucumbers are a great way to cool down in the summertime because of their cooling, refreshing effect on the body.
m) Peppermint Tea:
Drink a cup of peppermint iced tea to cool down your overheated body, as well as provide hydration.
n) Limit Alcoholic Beverages:
Alcohol causes the body to become dehydrated, which speeds up the effects of heat exhaustion.
o) Reduce Caffeine Intake:
Caffeine is known to speed up the dehydration process and cause the body to sweat more than normal. Avoiding this stimulant can help the body rebound quicker.
p) Pass on the Cigarette:
Constricting blood vessels, do not smoke if the body is too hot. The habit affects the body’s ability to effectively adjust to heat.
q) Rolled-Up Newspaper:
Create a homemade breeze by rolling up newspaper and using it as a fan.
r) Sports Drinks:
When symptoms of heat exhaustion arise, you can replenish the body with sports drinks, such as Gatorade and Powerade.
s) Don’t Load Up on Salt:
Although a dehydrated body lacks salt, consuming salty foods and licking table salt will not help. In fact, the salt will cause your stomach to hold fluids longer, which doesn’t allow for adequate distribution of the liquid to the rest of your body so that you can produce enough sweat.
t) Carry Around Water Bottle:
To combat the symptoms of heat exhaustion, keep a water bottle close by.
Resources
[1] http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/heat-exhaustion/ds01046/dsection=causes
[2] http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/healthy/firstaid/basics/088.printerview.html
[3] http://www.skinsight.com/firstaid/firstAidHeatExhaustion.htm
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