As gardeners, we like to spend time outdoors. Doing that can be a challenge when the temperatures are extremely hot. Everyone who spends time outdoors during extreme heat should know the signs of heat-related illness. More importantly, you should know how to prevent it and what to do if you or someone around you get sick from the heat. The CDC lists these five heat-related illnesses.
Heat Rash
In Texas, we refer to this as prickly heat. You get bumps that look like pimples in a rash. The rash usually occurs around the neck and on the chest, groin, or elbow creases. If you notice this rash, go to a cool, dry place. Keep the rash dry. Putting powder such as baby powder on the rash helps the itching.
Sunburn
Sunburn causes your skin to get red, hot, and painful to the touch. A bad sunburn causes painful blisters. To treat sunburn, stay out of the sun until the sunburn heals. You can put cool, damp cloths on the sunburned areas. You can also rub moisturizing lotion on the areas. However, you should not pop the blisters because that can lead to a secondary infection.
Heat Cramps
Heat cramps cause heavy sweating during intense exercises. Cramps and muscle pain then start to occur. To treat heat cramps, stop exercising. Drink water or a sports drink to rehydrate. Do not do any more physical activity until the cramps stop. If you are on a low-sodium diet, you have heart problems, or the cramps last more than one hour, get help immediately.
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion has a longer list of symptoms. They are:
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, clammy, pale skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting or passing out
To treat heat exhaustion, you have to move to a cool place and cool down your body. Do this by putting wet cloths on your skin or taking a cool bath. Sip water to rehydrate your body. Seek help immediately if you are throwing up, you get worse, or your symptoms last more than one hour.
Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is considered a medical emergency. If you or someone with you has the following symptoms, call 911 (in the US) and get out of the heat.
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- High body temperature of 103 or higher
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Nausea
- Fainting or passing out
Call 911 right away. Move the person to a cooler place. Put cool cloths on their skin or give them a cool bath. Do not give the person anything to drink.
Preventing Heat-Related Illness
Preventing heat-related illness is very important. These tips will help you do that.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothes
- Work early in the morning before the temperature gets so high
- Rest often in the shade while outside
- Drink lots of water and stay away from alcohol and sugary drinks, as they can dehydrate you
- Wear sunscreen — sunburn affects your ability to keep your body at a safe temperature
- Pace yourself
- Avoid hot, heavy meals before going outside
Heat-related illness is a serious risk during the hot months of the year. Take steps to prevent yourself from being a statistic. Watch others who are outside with you and intervene if they begin showing symptoms of being too hot.
Want to learn to garden? My first attempt at gardening ended up in failure. The weeds took over and squeezed the vegetables out. I was very frustrated by this waste of good seed, time, and money. So I became a master gardener and spent a lot of time helping other people avoid or overcome problems in their garden.
In order to help others garden successfully, I have written a book, Vegetable Gardening from the Ground Up, available in an ebook or a paperback from Amazon. It is also in Kindle Unlimited.
