What to do first if you see a person with heat stroke
2022.07.01
The summer heat has arrived. While we still have many opportunities to wear masks, we are worried about heat stroke.
Of course, it is important to prevent heat stroke, but it is also important to know what to do if you do have heat stroke, and what to do if you see a person with heat stroke.
Outdoor masks increase the risk of heat stroke
Do you wear a mask when walking outdoors? The masked lifestyle has been with us for more than 2 years, and somehow people are still apprehensive; there are many people who wear masks even outdoors.
However, wearing a mask in a hot and humid environment may increase the risk of heat stroke. Wearing a mask can increase your heart rate, respiratory rate, blood carbon dioxide concentration, and body temperature, which can overload your body.
Therefore, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare is calling to remove the mask when outdoors.
The leaflet released by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare and the Ministry of the Environment states as follows:
Don’t forget to remove your mask, especially when exercising.
You do not need to wear a mask for outdoor walks, running, commuting, school, etc.
Even indoors, if you can keep a distance from people (2m or more as a guide) and have limited conversation, you do not need to wear a mask.
If you see a person with heat stroke
By the way, heat stroke occurs when you stay in a hot and humid environment for a long time. The balance of water and salt in your body is lost, and thermoregulatory function does not work well. It causes various symptoms such as disorientation, nausea, and headache. If you suspect that you could be suffering from heat stroke, first move to a cool place.
Next, loosen your clothes for better ventilation and cool your body. In particular, cool the area around the neck, armpits, and groin. Thick blood vessels pass through these places, and a large amount of blood returns to the body, so if you cool them, you can cool the whole body.
Then, drink some cold water, or if it is another person who may be ill with heat stroke, hand them some cold water and have them drink it by themselves. If you are sweating a lot, oral rehydration solutions or sports drinks that can also fortify salt levels are the best choice. If you can’t produce sweat, tears, or urine, see a medical institution immediately.
What is the guideline for seeing a medical institution?
First of all, if someone has symptoms of suspected heat stroke, there is no response even if you speak to them, or they are unconscious, call an ambulance without hesitation.
Also, if they cannot drink water on their own, or if the symptoms do not improve even if they do drink water, get them to a medical institution immediately.
If you call an ambulance or take them to a medical institution, it is important to keep their body cool. The saving of a seriously ill person’s life depends on how quickly you can lower their body temperature, so if you suspect that they have heat stroke, help lower their body temperature as soon as possible.
There is also an app that tells you the severity of heat stroke
When you suspect heat stroke, answer the questions displayed on the screen to estimate the severity of heat stroke, and the app will tell you whether to go to a medical institution or call an ambulance.It’s an app called “Join Triage”.
Originally, it was a triage app for emergency transportation, and the “heat stroke diagnosis assistance scale” developed by the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine based on the severity prediction score of heat stroke was incorporated into it. Japanese Association for Acute Medicine “Notice of release of Heat stroke diagnosis support application for smartphones ”
https://www.jaam.jp/info/2021/info-20210601_h.html
Launch the app, click “Heat Stroke Diagnosis Assistance Scale”, gender, age (estimated), location of heat stroke (indoor or outdoor), the status of occurrence (sports, daily life, etc.), or chronic condition, The severity of heat stroke can be determined by selecting the applicable items on the screen, such as the presence or absence of a mask, the presence or absence of disabilities, normal physical function, and applicable symptoms.
It will also advise you if you need to see a doctor or be transported by ambulance to a medical institution and will give you a list of nearby medical institutions from your smartphone’s location information. It’s a good idea to download these apps in case of an emergency. And, above all, if you think you have heat stroke, try to cool your body and lower your temperature.
◎ Reference
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “Information and materials site for heat stroke prevention”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/seisakunitsuite/bunya/kenkou_iryou/kenkou/nettyuu/nettyuu_taisaku/index.html
Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare “Summary of points of heat stroke prevention behavior in” new lifestyle ”
https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/seisakunitsuite/bunya/0000121431_coronanettyuu.html