How to Avoid Heat Exhaustion
(Not so) Recently, at Thunder in the Woods, the invasion of the Mid-Realm, a lord was walking around giving the heat advisory: 1) Stay indoors, 2) Wear loose clothing, and 3) Avoid strenuous activities. This is usually good advise, but when it is 105 degrees, 130 with heat index, and you are a fighter at an SCA event, these words of wisdom are at best, impossible to heed. Many fighters fell to the heat. I was among them.
The symptoms of heat exhaustion are much like they are for the flu: hot and cold flashes, head-ache, fatigue, you stop sweating, and denial that there is a problem . Advanced heat exhaustion will include vomiting and shakes. Heat exhaustion, left untreated WILL lead to Heat Stroke! At this point, the person in question will not be able to consume enough liquids, and will more than likely pass out. Heat exhaustion can be treated ON-SITE, Heat Stroke cannot. If caught early, heat exhaustion can be treated with minimal discomfort for a few hours.
Heat Exhaustion can be thought of as extreme drunkenness without all the fun. Being drunk, and heat exhaustion do the same thing to your body. See, heat exhaustion happens when the brain and muscles dry out, the same thing that happens from being drunk, causing a hang-over. Heat and alcohol deprive the body of water: remember that your body is over 70% water. Heat makes you use up, or sweat out the water in an attempt to cool the body temperature, while alcohol will absorb water, and make you expel the water as waste.
(*note: the more you have to use the restroom while drinking, the worse the hangover in the morning. That is why different people get hangovers on different alcohols, you’re body is using the base ingredient of the alcohol…Say your body needs something that is provided by potatoes, and you are drinking vodka, your body will use up most of the alcohol thinking the vodka is potatoes, hence, no bathroom, and no alcohol in the body to absorb valuable water…no hangover!)
(another note: alcohol turns to sugar in the system, sugar will absorb water up to five times its weight, so what alcohol doesn’t leave the system, will turn to sugar, and rob you of water all over again! So, while drinking or fighting, avoid sugar or sweet drinks as much as possible.)
Without water in the system, the muscles cannot effectively get rid of toxins created by activity. So, not only do you dry up from the inside out, the toxin levels in your blood rise to dangerous levels. You poison yourself very quickly!
The trick is to avoid Heat Exhaustion as much as possible. This is not as hard as it seems. Simply drink plenty of fluids, and take breaks when you have to. Very important to fighting in the heat is to drink LOTS of WATER. Not Soda, not tea, not beer, not kool-aid, but good clean water. During moderate activity, your body can absorb up to 8 fluid ounces of water every 15 minutes! Many beverages are not good for you while fighting. Here’s the problem. Caffeine works against your body. It speeds up the heart, and constricts the veins and capillaries; these blood vessels carry all the blood to your brain. (Nicotine will do the same thing! So no smoking after fighting!) Sugar will absorb water out of the system as well, and speeds up the heart. Nothing will beat plain old water. Drink tons of water, even when you don’t want to. Especially if you even stop sweating! Avoid non-water drinks, and don’t smoke.
But, what do you do if you suspect that you or someone else is suffering from heat exhaustion? First, get them to sit down! Elevate their feet to a level that is above the head (completely). This will force blood to the head. Next, make them drink lots of water. As they are drinking water, start to remove their clothes (or armour). If it is not an emergency at this point, and you should not forcibly remove armour or clothes, and you should have permission from the victim. DO NOT DUMP COLD WATER ON THEM!!! Cold water will force the blood to the area of the body where the cold water was dumped in an attempt to warm it up, depriving the brain of blood…lukewarm water is best, slightly cool to the touch, in other words, 85-95 degrees. By putting water on the body, wrist first as the blood flows closest to the surface there, on the back of the neck, armpits, groin, back of knees, hands and feet, and lastly the torso, this will bring the body core temperature down to a reasonable level. Adding water internally will raise the water level in the body, and also lower the core temperature.
When the victim starts to sweat, or has to use the restroom, you are pretty much back in the clear. If however, the victim continues to suffer, and/or passes out, get immediate medical attention for that person. When a person recovers from heat exhaustion, keep them wrapped in a sheet, or light tunic, and make them drink LARGE amounts of water.
The best idea is to avoid heat exhaustion all together: so remember: wear loose clothes, stay indoors, and avoid strenuous exercise. Visit the 4th Company (WaterBearers) often, and take more than one drink when you can, and drink every time water is offered to you. Play well, Play smart.
HL Rory McGowen