Football and Heat Stroke

Overview

Heat stroke is a life-threatening illness that occurs when exposure to extreme heat triggers a failure in your body’s temperature control mechanisms. In the absence of proper control, your body can’t cool itself down without some form of outside intervention. Football players and other athletes are susceptible to a form of the disorder called exertional heat stroke.

The Basics

Classic heat stroke develops over several days as prolonged heat exposure takes its toll on your body. Individuals most susceptible to this include infants and young children, obese people, the elderly or inactive people without access to air conditioning or adequate fluids and those who are sick or take certain types of medication. Exertional heat stroke develops within hours, and can occur in athletes or anyone else who engages in intense physical effort in hot environments. The underlying cause for this condition is the sudden onset of a cooling demand that exceeds your body’s internal regulatory capacities.

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Football-Related Factors, Risks

Between 1995 and 2009, 31 high school football players and eight college players died from heat stroke, according to a study detailed in the University of North Carolina’s “Survey of Football Injury Research Annual Report.” One professional player also died during this time frame. Dr. William O. Roberts, a member of the Minnesota State High School League’s Sports Advisory Committee, said contributing factors to heat stroke-related football deaths included the heat and humidity of the local practice environment and the lack of sufficient acclimation to heat-related and humidity-related body stresses. He also cited wearing clothing that worsens acclimation problems, the relatively large size of the affected players and continued participation in practice after initial signs of physical distress occurred.

Minimizing Risks

Dr. Roberts, who is on staff of the Department of Family Practice and Community Health at the University of Minnesota Medical School, also listed steps that football coaches and players can take to minimize heat stroke risk. They include reducing the intensity and duration of practices when heat and humidity rise to certain levels, incorporating adequate amounts of rest into practice sessions and providing proper fluids and salt replacements. He also suggested allowing players to practice in shorts and T-shirts until they acclimate to their surroundings and identifying players with increased heat stroke risks. Coaches and players must also learn to recognize early symptoms of heat stroke onset, including self-reported complaints of physical problems.

Considerations

Larger football players, such as offensive and defensive linemen, can generate and store relatively large amounts of body heat when compared with smaller players. In the short term, this allows them to perform longer in high heat and humidity. However, the same capacity puts them at considerably heightened risk for heat stroke. It also increases the risk for serious tissue damage once heat stroke occurs.

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References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Extreme Heat
• The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals: Heatstroke
• “USA Today:”; In NFL Training Camps, Heatstroke Awareness Rises; Greg Mihoses; Aug. 20, 2010
• Minnesota State High School League: Death in the Heat; Can Football Heat Stroke Be Prevented?

 

About this Author

M. Gideon Hoyle is a writer living outside of Houston. Previously, he produced brochures and a wide variety of other materials for a nonprofit educational

 

How to Prevent and Identify Heat Stroke

Overview

Heat stroke is caused by the body being unable to keep itself cool. This is a life-threatening condition resulting from the escalation of heat cramps and heat exhaustion. Body temperature is raised due to a combination of physical activity and environmental temperature. When signs of possible heat-related illness appear, immediate intervention is necessary to prevent serious damage. If you or someone you know is experiencing heat stroke, call emergency services for help. While waiting for medical help to arrive, try to find a cool or shaded area to rest, wet the skin with water and remove unnecessary clothing.

Step 1

Stay indoors or limit outside time during hotter months. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests remaining in cool or air-conditioned environments when it is too hot to be outside. Watch the news to gauge the daily temperature and if you must be outside when it is hot, take frequent breaks from direct sun in a shaded or cooler area.

Step 2

Increase your fluid intake to stay hydrated. Drinking water or fluids with electrolytes, such as sports drinks, replenishes your body of the necessary minerals needed to maintain core temperature. When you are outside or engaged in physical activity for long periods of time, your body perspires to regulate its temperature. A constant supply of fluid intake is necessary to maintain body health. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests drinking plenty of fluids before starting outdoor activity and throughout the day.

Step 3

Dress for the weather. Wearing too many layers while outside or during physical activity increases your risk of heat exhaustion. The Texas Medical Association recommends wearing lightweight, loose-fitting and light-colored clothing to prevent rapid heat absorption from the sun.

Step 4

Wear protective gear. Sunscreen helps to prevent sunburn; however, you may also want to cover your head with a hat to provide facial shading. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes.

Step 5

Engage in exercise or vigorous activity early or later in the day. Schedule your outside activities during the cooler parts of the day to lower your risk of heat stroke. The American Academy of Family Physicians suggests exercising prior to 10 a.m. and after 6 p.m., when the temperature is lower than in the middle of the day.

Step 6

Recognize the signs. There are clear indications if you are experiencing heat-related illness. The Mayo Clinic notes that your skin may turn red and become flush as temperature increases. You may experience rapid and shallow breathing, increased heart rate and a throbbing headache. Initially you may experience heavy sweating during heat exhaustion. However, if you are experiencing heat stroke, you will no longer sweat and your skin may feel hot. Cramping, muscle weakness and nausea may also appear as signs of heat-related illness.

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Tips and Warnings

• Use an umbrella for shade when outside.
• Limit use of sugary or alcoholic beverages as these will cause quicker loss of fluids than beverages without high sugar content. If you take medications, ask your physician if the medications impact body temperature during hotter weather conditions. Do not sit inside of a hot car or leave pets or children inside of a hot car for any period of time.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Extreme Heat
• Texas Medical Association: Prevent Heat Stroke
• Mayo Clinic: Heat Stroke
• American Academy of Family Physicians: Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke

 

About this

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/154918-how-to-prevent-and-identify-heat-stroke/#ixzz1Rp80Iz9j

Heat Stress in Construction

Hazard Alert

Heat is a serious hazard in construction. Your body builds up heat when you work and sweats to

get rid of extra heat. But sometimes your body may not cool off fast enough. This can happen,

say, if you are up on a roof pouring hot asphalt or you are lifting heavy loads.

Too much heat can make you tired, hurt your job performance, and increase your chance of

injury. You can get skin rash. You can also get:

• Dehydration. When your body loses water, you can’t cool off fast enough. You feel

thirsty and weak.

• Cramps. You can get muscle cramps from the heat even after you leave work.

• Heat exhaustion. You feel tired, nauseous, headachy, and giddy (dizzy and silly). Your

skin is damp and looks muddy or flushed. You may faint.

• Heat stroke. You may have hot dry skin and a high temperature. Or you may feel

confused. You may have convulsions or become unconscious. Heat stroke can kill you

unless you get emergency medical help.

The Risk of Heat Stress

Your risk of heat stress depends on many things. These include:

• Your physical condition

• The weather (temperature, humidity)

• How much clothing you have on

• How fast you must move or how much weight you must lift

• If you are near a fan or there is a breeze

• If you are in the sun.

If there is an industrial hygienist on your work site, ask the hygienist about the Wet-Bulb Globe

Temperature Index. It is a more precise way to estimate the risk of heat stress.

Protect Yourself

Try to do these things:

• Drink when you are thirsty.

• Keep taking rest breaks. Rest in a cool, shady spot. Use fans.

• Wear light-colored clothing made of cotton.

• Do the heaviest work in the coolest time of the day.

• Work in the shade.

• For heavy work in hot areas, take turns with other workers, so some can rest.

• If you travel to a warm area for a new job, you need time for your body to get used to the

heat. Be extra careful the first 2 weeks on the job.

• If you work in protective clothing, you need more rest breaks. You may also need to check

your temperature and heart rate. On a Superfund site where the temperature is 70 degrees or

more, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) writes that while on the job you should

be monitored for heat-stress related symptoms, including changes in body temperature and heart

rate.

• If you think someone has heat stroke, call emergency services (or 911). Immediately move

the victim to the shade. Loosen his/her clothes. Wipe or spray his/her skin with cool water and

fan him/her. You can use a piece of cardboard or other material as a fan.

OSHA does not have a special rule for heat. But because heat stress is known as a serious

hazard, workers are protected under the General Duty Clause of the Occupational Safety and

Health Act. The clause says employers must provide “employment free from recognized

hazards…causing or…likely to cause physical harm.”

For more information, call your local union, the Center to Protect Workers’ Rights (CPWR)

(301-578-8500 or www.cpwr.com ), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(1-800-35-NIOSH or www.cdc.gov/niosh), or OSHA (1-800-321-OSHA or www.osha.gov). Or

check the website www.elcosh.org

© 2005, The Center to Protect Workers’ Rights. All rights reserved. CPWR is a research, training, and service arm of the

Building and Construction Trades Dept., AFL-CIO: CPWR, Suite 1000, 8484 Georgia Ave., Silver Spring, MD 20910. (Edward

C. Sullivan is president of the Building and Construction Trades Dept. and of CPWR and Sean McGarvey is secretary treasurer.)

Production of this card was supported by grants CCU317202 and 1 U54 OH008307 from the National Institute for Occupational

Safety and Health and grants U45-ES09764 and U45-ES06185 from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

The contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of NIOSH or NIEHS.

Heat stress – December 15, 2005