So I had it yesterday like I do at least once every Summer. I guess it's gone now because I don't feel as bad as I did yesterday, but while I was at work today and chatting with the other workers, they told me that I should go to the hospital when I get it. Honestly, I don't feel I should. I used to get this a lot a little kid and I do remember going to the hospital once and all that happened was that I was put in a cold water bath. I pretty much do the same thing nowadays when I get it. I just soak a t-shirt in ice water and wear it with the A/C on. Eventually it goes away.

Heat exhaustion is very different than heat stroke. You likely wouldn't have been talking if it had been true heat stroke.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-heatstroke/FA00019

I'm not a medical doctor, but according to WebMD, heat stroke is a real medical emergency. Apparently going to the emergency room is not only so that you can cool down, but so they can make sure you're not dehydrated and no damage has been done to internal organs.

Penny

Sounds like somebody needs to be packing more water with him.

When the heat ends up getting to one of the guys on the crew, they are put in the shade, or truck with a/c and some water. Pretty much they are in Time-out an not allowed to leave the shade/AC until one of the Boss's says to, then he's on light duty for the rest of the day.

However since were all working together, its pretty obvious when somebody is having an issue with the heat or anything else. And can ussually be caught before things get to serious.

This all should be a clue to you that you are doing something wrong, you have been doing something wrong for some time, and you need to alter your behavior.

Even if you've only been hospitalized once, you sound like you're headed for another.

Make an appointment now to see a doctor about this specific thing. I'm guessing if you have a family physician now, he or she may not know everything about your history.

You've probably read about young athletes on high school and college football teams falling over dead on a hot day while working out. Sounds to me like you're at high risk for doing the same thing.

And you wouldn't have put this out on this forum if you didn't have a sneaking suspicion that something wasn't right about all this.

- Tom

I think my love for warm weather might be playing a role in this. See, at my job we are NOT devoid of fluids to drink. We got a rather decent lounge area. It's just that I totally HATE cold weather and whenever it's warm I love to be enjoying it no matter how much I sweat. My job is not too hard, but I do admit it does get a sweat going. I think tomorrow I will tell some of the other workers and the dispatcher to remind me to take a break. I'm one of them guys that just keeps working and forgets about things like breaks or lunch.

Yeah, Barak is the same way. His idea of doing something is to begin working and continue working until it is finished. Back in the early days of our marriage he got himself seriously dehydrated a couple of times, and it scared me. I used to stock Gatorade for him, and I'd see him gulp down two large-size bottles in less than a minute.

He just got in from mowing the grass (power mower, not a riding mower) and I noticed his shirt was soaked through with sweat. So the first thing I did was get out a bottle of water for him...

You can already be seriously dehydrated before you feel thirsty, especially if you're into what you're doing and (as you said) you're enjoying the heat. Make yourself take a quick break every half hour and drink a glass or bottle of water.

Penny

Drink, drink, drink dude...

I'm in the field alot this summer in Houston, Texas with temps of 95-100 degress with 95% humidity. Unreal how horrible it is really.

For instance today, I drank 8 liters of water and didn't piss one time.

Don't try to be a tough guy. If you've really had heat stroke, which I have, you wouldn't be trying to prove anything. Work hard but drink. Water only does it for me until lunch. Then it's replentishing electrolytes time.

I've wondered about drinking something like Pedialyte. I know it's for kids, but it's specifically to replace electrolytes. Of course, Gatorade is also, isn't it?

Penny

yes Penny ... "sports drinks" are to quench thirst, and replenish electrolytes and other things lost from sweating and physical activity ...

I don't know if Pedialyte is the same/same ... but someone else might ...

Gmoney,

It's not that I'm trying to be a tough guy. I don't believe in alpha male mentality. It's just that when I am really involved in something, I keep at it. I remember back in my jr. high school days when I would be mowing lawns in 100+ degree weather and even though I would get light headed and be thirsty, I just wanted to get the job done.

Stay hydrated and take time to cool down from time to time. If you get to low on electrolytes you can have some serious heart arrhythmias and even a heart attack. If you ever stop sweating, you are in DEEP TROUBLE and need to go to an ER IMMEDIATLY!

If your body temp gets above about 104 you can suffer permanent brain damage if it isn't brought down NOW.

Heat-related illnesses consist of three stages, ranging from relatively mild to life threatening: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke, respectively.

Been working black top for the past 7yrs. The first sign that the heat is getting to us is a slight headache. Even though we keep plenty of water with us(not too cold)we also keep a couple bottles of Pedialyte around for when/if a headache starts. It's important to read and follow the directions though.

til later

In a dry climate, sweating isn't as apparent as it is in a humid climate. Born and reared in the very humid Southeast and working outdoors for many years in desert and near-desert aridity, I've been exposed to both extremes well enough to be very familiar with 'em.

In the extra-dry Southwest, where the air can be very dry right next to a bubbling fountain or an irrigation sprinkler, your perspiration can evaporate as fast as you exude it (leaving your clothes completely dry, for example). So you're losing more water � by far � faster than you know. In the Southwest, you can even go dangerously dry while you're right next to a swimming pool.

Scant urination and yellow urine are danger signals. Even if you have to drink gallons, don't stop until your urine is abundant and either pale or clear.

Along the southwestern border, the frequency of deaths from dehydration shows how easy it is for locals to under-estimate their need to drink a lot of water.

Riders coming into town from days in the desert and immediately seeking a slug of whiskey are Follywood inventions.

I experienced deaths first hand due to heat stroke in Vietnam. I experienced the early stages fishing alone on a 99 degree day & almost lost a guide hunting sheep in the mountains of Texas years ago. He lay beneath the jeep for an hour or so wearing damp cloths & drinking water. Heat stroke is not a good way to die, if there is one.

I have also experienced deaths due to heat stroke first hand. We just lost one of our dogs to heat stroke a few weeks back, in the back of the 4 runner, with the AC going, and the other 2 dogs were fine. He just went, so the heat effects everyone/everything to a different degree.

I also had a buddy in the army die from heat stroke when he was in Air Assault school. Was doing a road march, and he got dizzy so he took a knee. The instructor told him he needed to finish or he wouldn't get his wings. Well, he got up, took about 10 more steps, and fell over. They got him to the med center, and took his temperature. It capped out a 105 degree thermometer. They realized he was in real trouble, rushed him to the ER. He never recovered, they retired him on the spot so that his wife would get retirement pay for an E-4 (it isn't much, but better then nothing).

Hydration is the key, but make sure you are replenishing electrolytes as stated by others in the thread. When I was in Basic Training, they were having issues with people dying from over-hydration, because they forced us to drink water all the time, and it was cleaning some people out of their electrolytes, and they were dying from it. So it is a delicate balance. Make sure you stay hydrated, and are taking in salts and other stuff so that your body can retain the water.

I have had severe dehydration once, and I hope to never have it again. I also have problems with kidney stones, which is just another reason to make sure you are taking in enough water.

Heat stroke is a killer. I drink a lot of Vichy water. Excellent stuff. If you need to do the electrolyte replacement, easy to make the burn packet that were in the Army first aide pouch. tablespoon of salt, teaspoon of sodium bicarb, one quart of water, cool if possible.

Maser, I dunno what you do for work, but when I started doing concrete for work I was very much in the same boat. The first week was pure hell, and I was one sick feeling kid.

Fill up a couple of milk jugs with water. Drag one of them around with you, stash it in the nearest shade or just pack it with you. You will be amazed at how much more water you will drink, when the water is right next to you.

Doing that helped how I felt and in return how I worked, dramaticaly. If your not feeling 100% your not goona be able to give 100% at work.

It's also a good idea not to drop the E bomb on a hot day at work.....grin

Don't forget the salt tablets. They really work. When I was at Fort Bragg for boot camp we would go through a 1000 tablet bottle in a day and that was a platoon. That's 20 tablets per man per day. Our fatigues would start out green in the morning and be completely white by evening chow. Salt and water kept us going. Salt and sugar mixed into water work real good in the heat.

Yeh, I used to regularly fish in a small open aluminum boat on open water from sunrise to sunset under a HOT GLARING/REFLECTING SUN and high temperatures ... bare head, bare skin, no eye protection ... and I often ended up VERY sick and almost completely disoriented.

I did drink plenty of BEER ... and that didn't really help.

I also never sought medical attention, but I WAS later informed about the serious dangers and real consequences of heat/sun stroke- and have since, always taken precautionary measures to protect my head, eyes, and all the rest, from over-exposure.

The last sun-burn I have even since had was, ONE TIME going out fishing with my cap, shades, long sleeves and long pants legs ... but NO shoes (bare-foot). I didn't think THAT would hurt ... but it sure DID.

Cold water also takes longer to Hydrate you. Your body has to bring the temp up to close to your body temperature in order to absorb it.

Kinda a side issue with the heat is taking care of your hide.
I've been wearin' one of these at work lately.
Skin cancer isn't a kind screw. Killed my grandpa and almost got my mom.

take salt tabs, what your calling heat stroke is more likely heat exahstion, with possible some dehydration thrown in BTW just drinking fluids will not keep away dehydration the lack of salt in your system is also a factor. Next time you start feeling sick take a salt tab see if it helps.

Sam, is that the one they label "Desert Rhat".......If so, where did you get it ?,.....Mine's lookin' pretty shabby.

GTC

GTC, here's a link.

http://www.glacieroutdoor.com/products_sun.php

Bought it at SW for $15.

I'm about ready to die in the hard hat, that is required on the job were on now. My head isnt getting any air, I think im goona drill some big azz holes in the top of it, should make it a lil nicer, an the foreman can kiss my azz if he dont like it.

Just spent an hour and a half meeting my Kairos committee by teleconference. One of the participants lives in California. She said it was 6:30 pm there and still 106 degrees!

Penny

We were pourin' hand curb this afternoon and one of my bud's took a chute to his thick skull. It was a miracle he survived without a hat....grinnin'

Yea, were havin to do the whole kit an kaboodle. Steel toe boots,saftey vests,saftey glasses,hardhats, condoms, etc etc.

Do you know how hard it is to trowel out the lil highs an lows in a sidewalk when you got these goofy glasses that are fogged up. We finnally convinced the saftey guy that we didnt need the glasses to trowel mud.

Here's to mud in your eye.

It's a little after 9PM now and it's 95 outside. Makes me wish I was still living at home so I could take a long night time swim. Perfect night time weather too.

an it was 102 in the shade

allright im done bitchen...........till tomorrow

The clutch finally went to hell on my work truck this afternoon and I need to swap out all of our chit at 5:30 tomorrow morning if that makes you feel any better....grin

Nope it dont. We got 56 yards of mud ordered tomorrow for that darn curb machine. an its supposed to be hotter than today.

Straight shots or a bunch of tie ins?

Should be done in time for brunch regardless?

We got 1 1/2 hours from time the mud is batched until we have to send it back. According to the state (state job) Goona leave us with about 30 mins per truck. And we cant add more n a few gallons o water to it either.

No tie-ins but a bunch of short runs.

We will be fine, but were goona be whipped.

I cannot believe you hi-jacked this thread, Sam

As far as I know they do not keep records of work place accidents the are caused by heat emergencies, Things like SamOlson bud taking a chute to the head or people that fall of latters, trips and falls, stepping out infront of Heavy equpment ect..
I will say to stay away from the salt pills and use sport drinks they are desined to replace what your body needs.
You should have to pass liquid at least once evey 4 hours and if it dark yellow you still need more liquid.
Stay away from caffein. Coffee, Tea, soda pop.
also stay away from alcohol, if you do drink have 3 glasses of water for every drink contaning alcohol

Have fun tomorrow Bogger. We have 25 yards at 7:30 when it's nice and cool. Of course the machine seals it up pretty well anyway.

Safety first!

Use a camelback, wear a soaking wet handkerchief around your neck, pound the liquids, eat right even when you don't feel like it, and sign your organ donor card. It sounds like you're already prone to heat injury due to physiology and your previous bouts with it. Every time you get heat exhaustion, you're more susceptible to it the next time. I.e. every time the heat makes you feel like crap, you'll feel like crap sooner next time. And heat stroke is a whole new level of jacked up worse than heat exhaustion. It's way more than not feeling right, full-on heat stroke is not too many steps away from dead.

Keep it up and eventually you'll barely be able to take the heat at all. The whole "I'm young and bulletproof" thing doesn't last very long.

SD

I used to buy and wear bulky neckerchiefs that were filled with some absorbent that held a lot of water � enough for a day of work outdoors in nasty heat. The same outfit also had packets that you'd stash in your hat. Those gizmos really worked! Slow evaporation kept me cooler than I would've been without 'em.

I forget what they were called and where I got 'em. Gave a lot of 'em away, too.

When my old hunting partner A U Stanley was in Mexico breaking horses for General Pershing in the hunt for Pancho Villa, he wore a steeple-crown sombrero and kept a water-soaked sponge in its crown. Said he probably would've died without 'em.

I also most lost my little brother last month, he ended up spending a week in the hospital. They thought it was a tia, but they determined that it was heat stroke. Take no chances and take plenty to drink and drink it. He should have known better he used to be a paramedic and he did not take enough to drink. tom

Carry water, I saw plenty of guys fall out from the heat in the middle east, and just as many on NTC rotations in the Mojave. Heat Exhaustion and Dehydration suck. Heat Stroke is a killer. Les

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It truly must of sucked having to eat that dust all the time at NTC. Doors closed got AC, doors open, got a good breeze and no dust, other then landing and takeoff's.

Bite me.........Sand Sucks

My dad is a safety engineer for a construction company that's now working in Kentucky.

One good method he uses for cooling the body down on heat victims is a pump sprayer filler with water. Somewhat strip the person down and spray them with the sprayer on the fine mist adjustment.

This is great for drawing heat away due to the increased surface area due to all of the little droplets.

He's had great success with this.

Good to know.
I got overheated a couple of years ago on a work weekend during Sept at the hunting camp. Worked until I was too hot and dry.
Now it seems I can't take the heat at all anymore.

But I do make sure I am drinking fluids continuously when I am outside now.

stumpy

AoC,

I didn't read everyone's posts, but I'm sure it's all good advice.

I used to work in oil tanks. Crews would get to the point where they'd get delerious and stop sweating because they were so hot, working inside the tanks (120degF sometimes). We'd step out of the tanks into 100degF and get the chills because of the temperature difference.

Drink lots of water. If you're feeling thirsty, it's already too late, in a sense. Thirst is the body telling you there's a problem. Drinking is preventive maintenance.

Keep water on you. Get an ALICE belt and a canteen from a surplus store and wear it...you'll find it gets light all too soon.

Dehydration and heat are nothing to play around with.

Aqualung

Finally remembered! Miracool

And here are some sources (not including where I got mine and still can't remember!).

Hmmm. As some of you know, I live in the desert southwest. The temperature today is 107 F and they didn't even bother to post a heat caution. The Mojave is, for the most part, arid, with no springs, creeks, or other water to cool off in, much less drink.

If you "yankee" it here, you'll loose about 2# of water an hour, and without replentishment, be in irreversable trouble in less than 4 hours. Also, when living here, if your urine turns yellow, it's already too late and you will have heat stroke in short order if you don't get rehydrated pdq. We all seem to get along fine here, and the total lack of people when you get away from town is fantastic. Just don't think you can come here with a cavalier attitude of "business as usual" when it comes to staying hydrated and cool.

If in doubt, try outing with a native the first time or two in the Mojave. There are old desert rats and bold desert rats, but you don't see many old, bold desert rats. Plan your trip and then cut it in half the first time or two.

Wayne

It seems that I'm not the only one where I work that is having problems. My own schedule and a few others have been changed and we are having to come in earlier than normal and get off early. Was 108 today and luckily I got off at 2PM before it got up that high.

Oddly enough while I was in the lounge room buying a soda, our local news was on talking about the heat wave and was talking about heat stroke and how it can be deadly for the elderly and children. Course the way my girlfriend abuses the A/C, I don't have to worry about my son being affected by the heat. One of the main things they said was to avoid alcoholic beverages. My guess is because of alcohols natural ability to absorb heat and will draw in more heat from the air.

More so booze is an excellent diuretic and speeds dehydration.

Never thought of that. Wouldn't that only apply to non-distilled liquor such as beer and wine? I figured distilled liquor just has the alcohol in it without the sugar from the fermentation process.

Beer is okay, so long as you keep drinking it.

- Tom

Nope all alcohol is a diuretic. Booze in the heat, for me, means headache. Whew, bad memories. Passing out in the sun for four hours, what a monumental headache that was. Everclear and kool-ade.

Many moons ago, Northerners visiting the South saw able-bodied males typically idle during the heat of the day, and soon established the notion that Southerners were "lazy." All the while, unseen by the yankees and therefore unreported, armies of Southern males were hard at work in the fields late into the nights, while those yankees were "idle" in their beds.

A twelve-hour task takes twelve hours, whether you work at it 0600�1800 or 0400�1000 and 1800�2400. And in the hot, humid South, the 0400�1000 1800�2400 workers usually got more done in twelve relatively cool hours.

Everclear and ice cold Kool-Aid sounds really nice. Too bad grain alcohol isn't legal here in CA. Anyways, what I'm wondering is if alcohol is such a diuretic, then how come they don't mention to not drink caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is a pretty potent diuretic as well as a stimulant which would lead to quicker dehydration as well.

Actually I have known and been told for a long time, caffeine is a diuretic and shouldn't be drank in the heat.
However, I have had a cold glass of iced tea, in the heat it kinda helps. There is more water than diuretic and it's got a touch of sugar.