It sure is hot! How hot is it? Well the scorpions are sucking salt tablets and you can fry eggs on the sidewalk- and it is only six in the morning. Hotter than a South Dallas plate lunch- ain’t no Texan can handle our heat out here. Where is here? We’re talking the great Southwest, the Arizona desert where it can get up to 120°F in the summer – and that’s in the shade. Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but if you’re from the north part of our country stay home- you can’t handle the heat out here. Who can handle it? The real men and women of Arizona. Those people who work outside. While we’re working inside with air-conditioning they’re toiling out in this Arizona heat. Our construction workers who are building the Intel project in Chandler and out at Gila Bend building the largest solar array plant in the country. They’re building our homes and freeways and skyscrapers. They deliver things we can’t live without. They manufacture, keep us safe, keep our city beautiful, and everything in between. These are the people I want to talk to. The first thing I want to say - get an inside job.
That was mean. What I meant to say was stay hydrated and as cool as you can. This fact is actually well understood by Arizona workers who have to do it or they literally can die. Let’s cover the basics. It never hurts to cover the subject repeatedly since it is so important to our health. First off the human body is made up of about 70% water and in the brain about 75% water. Lose just 1% of that water and you start getting fuzzy; your thinking is impaired and accidents begin to happen. Add heat with perspiration and electrolyte loss and you can get in trouble fast. You become very thirsty at 2% to 3% loss of water. A 5 % to 6% loss causes headaches and nausea. At 10% to 15% loss your brain is on fire and the body shuts down, often fatally. Have I got your attention yet?
Traditionally heat stress is broken down into four categories.
HEAT RASH: Everybody falls victim to this in Arizona even with short exposure outside. It is an important warning, and worse when it is humid. An individual will notice discomfort and generalized or splotchy red areas on on their skin that can form small blisters, definitely worse in areas where clothes or equipment rub against the skin.
HEAT SYNCOPE: Symptoms are lightheadedness, especially when standing up quickly or standing too long in one spot. Clearly at this time first aid is essential including sitting down in a cool place. Your boss will probably object if you decide on a bar and the choice of liquid is a beer. I recommend water though electrolyte drinks are okay.
HEAT CRAMPS: Now you’ve waited too long and are in trouble. You’ve been sweating too much and are losing too many electrolytes including salt and potassium. I see far too many patients in my office with these symptoms. This is a form of heat exhaustion where the patient got too hot, too low on liquids and electrolytes and needs immediate treatment.The heart is racing and blood pressure can drop. Again, fluids with electrolytes are more important now. Our worker needs to be cooled down immediately. If the patient has nausea and/or vomiting, with cramps and cannot take fluids then it’s time to be calling 911. Intravenous fluids are mandatory.
HEAT STROKE: This is where real trouble comes . The body no longer can cool down on its own. The heat temperature of the body can go up to a 106 degrees in 10 to 15 minutes with death or permanent disability soon after. Never making it home again when you left for work was probably not something you considered but it happens far too often every year in Arizona.
A quick note: if you are taking certain medications you are at greater risk for the above problems. If you are older than 50 or obese you are at greater risk. Diseases such as diabetes and hypertension puts you at greater risk. If you are doing drugs such as Cocaine or marijuana you are at greater risk. If you come to work hung over you are at greater risk. And it is important to note, if you drink sugary drinks, diet drinks, monster drinks and red bulls you are at greater risk. Though coffee and tea are all right in limited amounts they are diuretics which means that you will pee more often and dehydrate yourself.
So to review , stay well hydrated. Drink all day long. Water is best but electrolyte drinks with low sugar ( try to keep it at 1 g or less ) are OK and most importantly, watch for the signs of overheating described above. Wear the coolest clothing that you can and by that I don’t mean Tommy Bahamas or J Crew but light , breathable fabrics. Most of all watch yourself and watch your fellow worker – it’s hot out there. STAY COOL!