The weather is getting hotter and hotter, but active kids can’t be locked up at home. When children are exercising outdoors, parents should protect their children from heat stroke.
So how do you know your child has heat stroke? What should I do if my child has heatstroke?
Symptoms of heat stroke in children
If a child is in a high temperature environment for a long time, but fails to replenish water in time, and the temperature regulation function of children is far from that of adults, the basal metabolic rate is high, and the heat generation is higher. More, the adaptation to the thermal environment is slower, so infants and children belong to the high-risk group who are more likely to suffer from heat stroke.
Be aware of the possibility of heat stroke when a child exposed to heat experiences symptoms such as fever, nausea and vomiting, weakness, dizziness, headache, muscle cramps, tachycardia or shortness of breath.
Heatstroke is classified according to severity into heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Specific performances include:
Heat cramps
It is usually the first warning of collapse due to heat. After overwork, the muscles in the arms, legs and abdomen often experience pain, cramps, etc., but the consciousness is clear and the body temperature is mostly normal. , may also rise, but not more than 40.0 °C.
Heat exhaustion
Due to prolonged exposure to the sun, the child will experience flushing, body heat, body temperature above 37°C, tachycardia, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, fatigue, weakness, mild Moderate dehydration and other symptoms, at this time, it can be determined that the child has mild heatstroke, but the mental state is normal or only mildly confused, and it can quickly return to normal after cooling down.
Heat Stroke
If the child has significant neurological symptoms at the same time, such as confusion, hallucinations, difficulty walking, seizures, slurred speech, fainting, etc., consider whether it is a heat shot sick. The incidence of complications and mortality caused by heat stroke is high, and timely medical treatment is required.
Some ways to deal with heatstroke by mistake
Huoxiangzhengqi water is not a “heat stroke medicine”
Many mothers are used to giving their children Huoxiangzhengqi water for heat stroke, but in fact, Huoxiangzhengqi water contains as high as 40% to 59% alcohol. In addition to causing alcohol poisoning in children, It will also increase urination, accelerate the loss of body water, and aggravate the original heat stroke symptoms.
Therefore, Huoxiangzhengqi Water, Rendan, Shidi Water, etc. are not “good medicines for heat stroke”, and even harmful.
You’re in a coma from heat stroke, don’t pinch people
Pinching a person is not a first aid method, but a dangerous action, because it may make the respiratory tract of the unconscious injured person more unobstructed, and the correct treatment method will be delayed.
Gua sha and cupping are also useless. These methods will only cause subcutaneous capillaries to rupture, bruise, and have no heat dissipation effect. Cupping even poses a risk of burns.
Do not drink a lot of boiled water for a short period of time
Children will sweat a lot during heatstroke, and sweat has taken away a lot of electrolytes, especially sodium. If you drink a lot of water at this time, it will lead to “dilutional hyponatremia.” ”, which can lead to cerebral edema and coma in severe cases.
At this time, you should drink a small amount of water frequently, and if possible, drink oral rehydration salts, light saline or sports drinks.
Antipyretics, alcohol baths are not recommended
The role of antipyretics is to reduce fever, while heatstroke is caused by physical factors that cause high body temperature. Antipyretics have nothing to do with heatstroke. Liver damage and increased risk of coagulation disorders, so use is not recommended.
Although alcohol bathing can indeed have a physical cooling effect, like drinking Huoxiangzhengqi water, there is a risk of alcohol poisoning, so it is not recommended.
What should I do if my child has heat stroke?
So what are the correct ways to deal with a child’s heat stroke?
Remove baby from heat
Take your child to a cool place, such as outdoors in the shade, in an air-conditioned car or room.
The most important thing is to minimize outdoor activities for children in hot weather, especially children who are sick and recovering from illness.
Rapid physical cooling
After heatstroke, get to the shade quickly, take off your child’s excess clothing, cool down with cold water, a fan, and replenish electrolytes.
It should be noted that the decrease in rectal temperature often lags behind the actual core temperature in the hypothalamus, so once the rectal temperature drops to close to 38.0°C (anal temperature is 0.2 higher than axillary temperature) ℃), then the cooling can be stopped to prevent hypothermia.
If the child has threatened heatstroke or mild heatstroke, most of the physical discomfort can be relieved after the above treatment methods. If the child is already moderate or severe, or if the symptoms suddenly worsen, be sure to send it to the hospital quickly for treatment.