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Don't fall asleep on the beach

A couple of years ago whilst on holiday in France I suffered from heat stroke.

The day before we'd been down to the beach. It had been a really hot summers day and I had fallen asleep in the sun. A few hours later we made our way back to the caravan and had a lovely evening of BBQ's, games and wine.

The next day i struggled to get out of bed, I couldn't understand it as I'd slept through and it was now 11am. My hubby was getting cross with me because I was sat in the lounge section still sleepy and he wanted to go out and explore. Knowing that it would not go down well, I had to go back to bed, I was so tired, I just couldn't keep awake.

I stood up to make my way to the bedroom with the tut's of my family ringing in my ears, when suddenly I collapsed. My hubby ran over and tried to bring me round, but I remember the feeling of just wanting to be left to sleep. The feeling of sleep was so intense that I cried to be left.

Luckily for me my hubby, whilst at the beach the day before, had been reading the new first aid book he'd bought and had literally just been reading about heat stroke and prickly heat and had remembered how I'd been itching the night before on my feet and ankles.

Taking all the knowledge he had read, he literally brought me back from what could have been fatal. It took 3 days of cold showers every hour and covering up before I was anything near normal again.

Thank goodness for his light reading that day on the beach. It's good to have a first aid book with you on holiday, but please take a few moments to actually read it, as you never know when you will need to call upon that information.

Sent in by Jen Holt
West Yorkshire

If you have any stories to tell us, then please contact us at lifestyle@lastditchpitch.com

You are here: Home > First Aid 20 Aug 2008

First Aid

Camping can be harardous at the best of times, but when you think of camping gas canisters, outdoor pursuits, physical strain putting those tents up andpulling caravans into position, excitied children and dogs on the run, outdoor cooking and woodland fungi's, it's amazing that more casualty's don't happen.

In this section we hope to bring you first aid advise that is pertinent to our favourite pastime, camping. We hope to cover subjects from how to deal with poisonous fungi to heart attack and much more.

Let's kick off this first season in 'The First Aid Box' by looking at heat and what can happen if you get too much sun and over heat...

HEAT EXHAUSTION

Heat exhaustion is the body's response to loss of water and salt through excessive sweating. The most common cause of this condition is working or exercising in hot conditions (such as hiking on a very hot day).

Heat exhaustion occurs when the core body temperature raises above 38oC. If the problem is not treated, it can quickly lead to head stroke.

Possible Signs And Symptoms

Confusion, dizziness.
Pale, sweaty skin.
Nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting.
Fast, weak pulse and breathing.
Cramps in the arms, legs, abdomen.
The casualty may say that they 'feel cold', but they will be hot to touch.

Treatment

Take the casualty to a cool place.
Remove excessive clothing and lay them down.
Give the casualty plenty of drinks or water to re-hydrate them. If possible, add one level teaspoon of salt per litre of water.
Obtain medical advice, even if the casualty recovers quickly.
If the casualty's levels of response deteriorate, place them in the recovery position and dial 999 for an ambulance.
Monitor airway and breathing.

HEAT STROKE

Heat stroke is a very serious condition. It results from failure of the hypothalamus (temperature control centre) in the brain.

The sweating mechanism fails, the body is unable to cool down and the core temperature can reach dangerously high lever (over 40°C) within 10 to 15 minutes.

The condition can be caused by a high fever or prolonged exposure to heat and often follows heat exhaustion (above).

Possible Signs And Symptoms

Severe confusion and restlessness.
Flushed, hot, dry skin (no sweating).
Strong, fast pulse.
Throbbing headache.
Dizziness.
Nausea, vomiting.
Reduction in levels of response leading to unconsciousness.
Possibility of fitting if unconscious.

Treatment

Move the casualty to a cool, shaded area.
Dial 999 for an ambulance.
Cool the casualty rapidly, using whatever metholds you can.
Remove outer clothing, and wrap the casualty in a cold, wet sheet. Keep it wet and cold until the casualty's temperature fall to normal levels.
Other methods of cooling can be continually sponging with cold water, and fanning the casualty to help it evaporate. Place in a cool shower if they are conscious enough to do so.

REMEMBER

Get acclimatised to the heat, don't stay out too long, especially for the first couple of days and spend some time in the shade.

Drink plenty of cold fluids, preferably water, but certainly NOT alcohol, you may feel refreshed after a cold beer, but your body needs water to replace what it's lost through sweat.

Cover up any sensitive areas such as your head and feet.

Put high factor sun block on areas where bone is close to the skin as these will burn quicker. Noses, cheek bones, feet and tops of ears should be well covered.

If you do begin to feel hot, then take a dip in the pool, sea or have a quick cold shower if there is one available near by.

Cool children down by giving them ice lollies to suck on.

Get ventilaton into your van or tent by using fans or even installing air conditioning units. They are really not that expensive anymore and are easy to install. An absolute must if camping in hot countries.

Next Season On First Aid

First aid training courses for park owners and their staff
More first aid tips & advise
Contents of a first aid kit
Readers real life first aid stories

If you have any stories or advise you'd like to share with our readers, then please contact : lifestyle@lastditchpitch.com

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