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Here are 7 tips to withstand the heat
by Olivia Leimpeters-Leth
First aid tips for sunstroke
31.7.2023
Translation: Elicia Payne
Sunny days don’t just lift spirits – they also increase the risk of emergencies. Get familiar with these tips so you can safely enjoy the sunshine.
«Thirty-six degrees and it’s getting hotter … this is the air that burns.» It seems like the hit song by 2raumwohnung is now becoming a permanent reality. Recently the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) shared some bad news: from 2023 to 2027 you can expect the hottest years on record. Climate change is intensifying with the weather phenomenon El Niño to unprecedented record temperatures, the statement says.
Just like sweaty temperatures, annual hours of sunshine in Switzerland are also increasing. Statistics show: in 2022, a 19 per cent increase in annual sunshine hours over the long-term average was recorded at selected monitoring stations.
So it’s getting hotter and sunnier – two reasons to take extra good care of your health in the coming summers. Because not only is the risk for sunburn and skin cancer increasing, but sunstroke and heat stroke make extreme heat particularly troublesome too.
Sunstroke: what’s happening in your body?
If your head and neck are exposed to the sun’s aggressive rays for a long time – especially without headgear – you run the risk of getting sunstroke. This causes heat to build up in your head, your meninges (the membrane layers protecting your brain) become overstimulated and inflamed, the brain swells, and intracranial pressure increases. The result is a range of symptoms that, while far from pleasant, don’t acutely threaten life in healthy adults at least:
Headaches, neck pain and stiffness, dizziness, nausea, and even vomiting or loss of consciousness can result. While the head is bright red and hot, the body maintains its normal temperature.
The reason for this is simply overheating due to long and intense exposure to the sun. Unlike sunburn, it’s not the UV rays in sunlight that are dangerous, but the heat: the body is unable to process long-wave heat radiation and overheats.
Children and people with fair hair should be particularly careful. Children often have even less hair and react more to intense sunlight with high temperatures and fever. Parents with babies who still have an open fontanelle should pay very close attention. They should completely avoid the midday heat with their children.
Sunstroke and heat stroke: what’s the difference?
As the terms suggest, sunstroke is less dangerous than heat stroke. Because while sunstroke can still be treated by yourself, heat stroke is an acute case that can send you to the nearest intensive care unit.
While sunstroke is localised to the head, heat stroke affects the entire body. It heats up so much that the regulatory systems in the body – such as sweating – fail and there’s an acute danger to life. The body is hot, dry and bright red, the heartbeat fast, the blood pressure low and the body temperature often rises above 40 degrees Celsius. If suspected, the affected person or eyewitnesses should call the emergency services immediately.
What to do when you have sunstroke and heat stroke? First aid tips
If you – or someone around you – suffers from heat stroke, calling for an ambulance is the only possible first aid measure.
On the other hand, in the case of a less threatening sunstroke, there are some first aid tips that can provide acute help:
1. Get out of the sun
The first (and most obvious) first aid measure is to get out of the sun and ideally go to a cool room. This is what the German Red Cross recommends on its website (page in German). By doing this the overheated head can cool down and is no longer exposed to further sunlight. And in the following days, only enjoy the direct sun with caution.
2. Cool the head
Once you’re out of the sun, the sitting position is crucial: you should keep your head and upper body elevated and cool your head. Don’t cool the head with ice cubes or cold cooling elements because your circulation is already strained and this would exacerbate that. Instead, moist compresses are suitable – or hold the head and neck under cool tap water.
3. Drink lots
The body suffers from a loss of fluids during sunstroke. To compensate for this, sufferers should be given plenty of fluids. This will also cool the body from the inside at the same time. Not ice-cold drinks, but rather lukewarm ones (why, read here) (page in German). However only when the person is fully conscious. If that’s not the case, you should call the emergency services.
Sunstroke: the right protection
To survive the coming summer in good health, you need more than just good first aid tips. First and foremost, you should take precautions for your health and the health of your loved ones so that you don’t have an emergency. So when you head out to the lake or outdoor pool, you can protect your body from the sun and its pitfalls with the following tips:
1. The right clothes
Sun rays on unprotected skin have never been a particularly good idea – but in the coming years it will become an ever-greater danger. Studies (such as this one) show that direct sun exposure leads to longer-term increased skin surface temperature, increased heart rate and skin blood flow, while attention and alertness drop by up to 67 per cent.
Long, light-coloured clothing protects the skin and reduces its surface temperature by up to 13 per cent, the authors conclude. The most important thing you should do is protect your head and neck from direct sunlight by wearing the right sunscreen and sunglasses with UV protection. Even stricter rules apply to babies and young children. They shouldn’t be exposed to direct sunlight at all without appropriate protective clothing.
2. Reduce your hours of sun exposure
In general, you should avoid long sunbathing sessions. With every hour of sun (especially if you’re exposed to it unprotected), the risk of sunburn, sunstroke and, in extreme cases, heat stroke increases. A Japanese study cites the length of time you’re exposed to solar radiation, combined with rising average temperatures, as the main risk factor for heat stroke. So listen to your body and have breaks in the shade or cool indoor spaces.
3. Avoid midday heat
Of course spending time in the sun isn’t all bad for you. Your vitamin D stores are replenished, your body produces more of the happy hormone serotonin, which lifts your mood and makes it easier for you to fall asleep in the evening. However, in the summer, you’re better off scheduling sunbathing for early in the morning or later in the afternoon. The midday heat is considered particularly aggressive for your skin and is very stressful for the entire organism.
Header image: Shutterstock
Olivia Leimpeters-Leth
Autorin von customize mediahouse
oliver.fischer@digitecgalaxus.chI'm a sucker for flowery turns of phrase and allegorical language. Clever metaphors are my Kryptonite – even if, sometimes, it's better to just get to the point. Everything I write is edited by my cat, which I reckon is more «pet humanisation» than metaphor. When I'm not at my desk, I enjoy going hiking, taking part in fireside jamming sessions, dragging my exhausted body out to do some sport and hitting the occasional party.
