Summarize the following:
Depending on the symptoms and the person, you may wish to call your primary care physician or 911. Pay close attention to symptoms. Prolonged heatstroke damages the brain, causing anxiety, confusion, seizures, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, hallucinations, coordination problems, unconsciousness, and restlessness. Sunstroke can also affect the heart, kidneys, and muscles. It's better to be safe than sorry. Call emergency services if you observe any of the following symptoms: Signs of shock (ex. bluish lips and fingernails, confusion) Loss of consciousness A temperature over 102F (38.9C) Rapid breathing and/or pulse Weak heartbeat, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, and dark urine In some cases, they may be collapsed, agitated or even in cardiac arrest, so take care and start CPR if necessary Seizures. If the person is having seizures, clear the area for the patient's safety. If you can, place a pillow under his head so it does not bang on the ground during the convulsions. If milder symptoms persist for an extended time (longer than an hour), make the call. Our first instinct is to take medicine when we don't feel good. If someone is suffering from sunstroke, certain medications will only make the situation worse. Don't use medications for fever like aspirin or acetaminophen. These can be harmful during a heatstroke because they may increase bleeding, which can be a very serious issue with blistered sunburns. Medications for a fever work well on someone with an infection, not on someone with heatstroke. Don't give the person anything by mouth if he is vomiting or unconscious. Anything that enters the person's mouth could become a choking hazard. While you wait for emergency services, get the person to a shady, cool (preferably air-conditioned) area. Remove all clothing and get the person into a cool bath, shower, stream, or pond if possible. Avoid very cold temperatures. The same goes for using ice, which may also mask the signs of a slow heartbeat and cardiac arrest. Do not do this if the person is unconscious. You can put a cool, wet rag on the back of the neck, on the groin, and/or under the armpits. If you can, mist and fan the person to promote evaporative cooling. Either mist the person with cool water or place a wet sheet over their body before fanning them; this will cause evaporative cooling, which is faster than simply wetting the person. Help the person remove any extra clothing (hat, shoes, socks) to aid in the cooling process. Do not rub the person's body with alcohol. This is an old wives' tale. Alcohol cools the body too quickly, which can result in a dangerous temperature fluctuation. Rub the person's body with cool water, never alcohol. Have the person sip either Gatorade or salty water (1tsp salt per qt water) to counteract both dehydration and the loss of salts through sweating. Don't allow him to drink quickly, which can induce shock. If you don't have any salt or Gatorade, plain water will help also. Alternatively, you can administer salt tablets. Doing so can help balance electrolytes. Follow the instructions on the bottle. When the patient stays calm, the patient can help. Minimize their agitation by having them breath deeply. Have them focus on other things besides the sunstroke. Anxiety will only make their blood pump faster, raising their temperature a little more. Read How to Calm Yourself During an Anxiety Attack for more pointers about how to help them calm themselves. Massage the person's muscles. Massage gently. Your goal is to increase the circulation in the muscles. Muscle cramps are one of the early symptoms of sunstroke. Usually the calf areas are most affected. One of the most prominent effects of sunstroke is fainting. Protect against fainting by laying the person down. If the person does faint, turn him onto his left side with his right leg bent for stabilization. This position is called the recovery position. Check the person's mouth for vomit, so they do not choke.The left side is the best side for blood flow because our hearts are on that side.
Call emergency services. Avoid medications. Cool the person down. Replenish fluids and electrolytes. Help the person stay calm. Lay the person down.