Heat Injuries and how to protect yourself
Heat injuries can have serious consequences including disability and death. Heat injuries affect not only people practicing sports during the summer but also workers such as construction workers or landscapers. Anyone who practices a strenuous activity in warm conditions is at risk and should understand the body mechanism behind a heat stroke and how to prevent it.
When someone exercises in the heat, the body reaction is to sweat to cool off the body. Therefore the body looses a lot of fluids that need to be replaced by water or hydrating drinks. The body also needs to cool off. If someone doesn’t let his or her body cool off properly and hydrate proprely, the body becomes dehydrated and heat injuries occur.
Heat injuries come in many forms from mild to acute: