Heightened danger of heat stroke

Refreshing bath.Photo: Erik Johansen / NTB scanpix

When the temperature rises to above 33 degrees the possibility of heat stroke increases considerably.

 

In particular, the elderly, children, and those who are chronically ill are at risk.

Both Norway and Sweden have had very high temperatures this summer.
The Swedish public service 1177, it its care guide,reported a boost in search of topics such as heat stroke, dehydration, and other heat-related health problems.

In the first three weeks of July, words connected to heat stroke  increased by 377%. For dehydration,the figure increased by 260%, wrote the news agency, ‘TT’.

“This is an indication that this kind of problem is considerably wider this year, which is not very strange as it is significantly warmer,” said Staffan Gullsby, physician at 1177 Care Guidance

For wasp stings, the number of page-views had decreased by 68%.

“Wasps don’t like the heat that prevails now.It’s a bad summer if you’re a wasp,” said the doctor.

No increase for medical attention

The corresponding website in this country,helsenorge.no, did not yet report the same increase in the display of articles related to the heat.

So far, heat-related problems have not created the major challenges for medical services in Oslo.

“We have not noticed a large increase in patients who have come in because of the heat,” said Hege Ruud Karlsen at the Department of General Affairsin Oslo to NTB news.

Elderly

“I think that home nurses have been very good at taking care of those who need to absorb liquid,” Karlsen said.

The danger of heat stroke is greatest on hot summer days with high humidity. During long-haul drives on sunny days, it becomes very hot in the car, according to helsenorge.no.

Children, the elderly and the chronically ill are more vulnerable to getting overheated, wrote lommelegen.no.

Wear light, loose clothing

Staying in surroundings with temperatures higher than the body is used to can lead to heat stroke, according to Norwegian Health Informatics. At temperatures above 33 degrees, the danger increases significantly.

The website recommended light and loose clothing in the warmth as well as the heat, or an umbrella.

The advice is also to drink water before going out into the heat, and to continue to drink evenly throughout the day. Water is the best, and you should control diuretic drinks like tea, coffee, cola, or alcohol.

Chronically ill people should ask the doctor about how to cope with the heat. Some people may have illnes

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today