Heat diseases caused by heat waves, emergency behavior disorders for the elderly, and rapid progression of dementia
Jul 01, 2024
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When exposed to heat waves for a long time, everyone suffers from mild symptoms such as discomfort, boredom, and poor concentration. The problem is when symptoms are severe, such as dizziness, nausea, muscle cramps, and other symptoms of fevers or changes of consciousness. In the event of such an emergency, it is important to move to a ventilated shade or a safe air-conditioned room, drink cold water, take off your clothes, and spray water on your skin and cool down with fans or fans. If symptoms do not improve after rest, you must visit a medical institution for treatment, and if symptoms such as convulsions, fainting, or loss of consciousness occur, report them to 119 immediately so that they can be treated at the hospital, and immediately move to a cool place to take off your clothes and cool down your body.
In the summer, everyone struggles with the heat, but the problem is that the heat wave not only exhausts healthy adults, but also the majority of the elderly's deaths from the heat wave have turned on a red light for the health of the elderly.
Professor Kim Deok-ho of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Nowon Eulji University Hospital said, `Young people are more likely to be affected by low-risk diseases such as heat cramps, heat fainting, and heat exhaustion, but older people are more likely to be affected by heat stroke with neurological symptoms and a body temperature of 40 degrees or higher""In fact, as a result of analyzing heat-related diseases caused by heat waves, it was found that the proportion of deaths over 65 years of age was high, the majority occurred outdoors, and occurred while working in workplaces and rice fields." Because of this, the sun is at its strongest during the day (11 a.m. ~)5 p.m.) emphasized that it is important to stop what you are doing and to relax in a cool place.
Typical heat diseases caused by heat are heat exhaustion and heat stroke. It is easy to confuse the two words, but heat exhaustion means dehydration as the body temperature rises between 37 and 40 degrees due to exposure to high temperatures. Often the phrase 'I've got hot' is also an expression of heat exhaustion. Although it has been used as sunstroke, it is used as heat exhaustion in the international disease classification code published by the WHO. If your heart rate is faster and you have symptoms such as dizziness, headache, and nausea, you must take a rest in the shade.
Heatstroke is more dangerous than heat exhaustion and the symptoms are serious. It is a disease caused by maintaining a solid temperature state due to poor heat dissipation in work spaces and exercise spaces that can be exposed to excessive high-temperature environments. High fever of 40 degrees or higher, consciousness disorders, central nervous system abnormalities, and convulsions appear.
In addition, △ heat rash (sweat bands) due to inflammation of the sweat glands, swelling of the feet and ankles occurs but does not require special treatment △ heat fainting caused by somatic hypotension resulting in fainting due to peripheral vascular expansion and decreased tone of vascular movement △ heat spasms that cause muscle spasms △ insufficient water intake and loss of salt can cause various symptoms such as headaches.
The reason why the elderly are particularly vulnerable to heat waves is that aging causes comorbid diseases and has a number of chronic diseases. These comorbidities have a disturbing effect on the ability to adapt to heat waves. The body composition also changes significantly with aging, which is typically a change in the total amount of fluid. In other words, the elderly are more prone to dehydration and electrolyte abnormalities when exposed to high temperatures because their total fluid volume is reduced compared to young adults.
In addition, the function of the heart decreases, and as a result, blood circulation is not smooth, making it difficult to dissipate heat easily. The skin and mucous membranes reduce subcutaneous blood flow and decrease elasticity, making it difficult for the elderly with diabetes or peripheral vascular diseases to release internal heat. As a result, the elderly are prone to heat exhaustion and heat stroke and are vulnerable to heat waves. Mental cognitive ability is also deteriorated, which may delay the recognition that when exposed to heat, you should naturally change into thin clothes or easily change into clothes that are easy to dissipate heat. As it is not easy to lead to action, the need to cool down in a cool place is also recognized late.
It is known that the elderly cannot feel thirst well even if they are thirsty. This is because they do not feel thirsty due to the function of the nervous system to control signals transmitted to the brain and the decrease in proper hormone production. When the body becomes dehydrated with reduced moisture, the body works to reduce water discharge through the kidneys through the secretion of antidiuretic hormones. The imbalance of electrolytes caused by dehydration is the secretion of aldosterone hormones to preserve water and salt in the body. Through this process, it detects increased antidiuretic and aldosterone hormones and sends signals to the brain to feel thirsty. However, comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease can interfere with these mechanisms, and a number of medications make you feel less thirsty.
Professor Kim Deok-ho said "Fever is not only exposed to heat-related diseases such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke among the elderly, but also has an adverse effect on daily life as a whole. It may complain of behavioral disorders after muscle loss due to decreased external activity, or it may develop into decreased intake due to lack of appetite, electrolyte abnormalities, and nutritional deficiencies"There are cases in which emergency room treatment is required due to acute relaxation of chronic diseases because they cannot take their usual drugs. Recognizing that it is a characteristic of the elderly to have secondary effects such as acute progression of dementia, the parties and other guardians also need to respond appropriately to the heat wave.
bellho@sportschosun.com
