Heatstroke?

[Ex-MA Hole]

Let me preface this with I know that I am not that bright...
Oh, and I have a call into the Doctor at my Wife's insistance....

I was unable to cut my lawn for the last two weeks, and after a soaking three day rain, it was DISGUSTING.

Saturday, it was a measily 95 degrees and I started to mow what I could.

Between the heat, humidity, my asthma, and the fact that I am allegic to pollen, and the pollen count is VERY high, I didn't make it too long...

I got up yesterday in a foul mood (poss symptom?) and light headed. I started to mow at 7:30 AM. I drank water while mowing. I took a 20 minute break, a cold shower and put on fresh clothes around 9:30 and went back out for a bit over an hour.

I stopped around 11:00. It was in the high 80's to low 90's and VERY humid yet again.

I know that I should have stopped about 20 minutes before I did, but wanted to finish one last section of lawn.....

I came in, gasping for air and sweating like a pig. I was soaked. I took a cold shower for about 20 minutes and got out....I was still hot.

I sat, had more water, then switched to iced tea because I wanted the caffeine and I was EXAUSTED.

I got back into the shower for 1/2 hour. Got out and I was still hot. Mind you, my house has central air. I ended up eating a light lunch and sleeping most of the rest of the day. I had a buddy over for dinner, and I really didn't eat. I took yet another shower and went to bed at 8:00 for the night.

I woke up this morning sweating and still lightheaded. I took shower, drove into work. Walked to my office and I was soaked again.

I went home and took another shower. I am now sitting in my ice cold basement, with almost nothing on (sorry for the visual) and sweating my balls off.

I'm still a tad lightheaded, exhausted, and had to take B12 to try to get some juice. I'm beat.


Does this sound like heatstroke or something else?

I'm not having trouble breathing, nor am I lightheaded enough to think I'm going to passout....I feel sort of like I shotgunned a glass of wine.....

[Manedwolf]

I would go to a hospital and get checked out, yes. And in the meantime, drink electrolytes.

That sounds like heatstroke, though the pollen count is extremely high...I had just washed my car, and despite it being in the carport, it looked like a tree sneezed all over it.

[wmenorr67]

I second the Dr.  Not sure, Heatstroke is nothing to play around with and will kill you.

Did you happen to get sunburned at all?

[Manedwolf]

Also, it might not be water you needed, but salts. If you have Gatorade, drink some, and then see about the doctor ASAP.

[The Annoyed Man]

Your wife's right.  Go see the doctor, especially since you're into the second day now.

[Ex-MA Hole]

No sunburn, but my exhaustion is similar to the kind you get when you spend all day on a boat in the sun and wind...

I just got off the phone with the Nurse, she is going to talk to the Dr and call me right back....they probably want me to be seen, she is just not sure how quickly....

No Gaterade, but I will go down the street to get some as soon as I get the call back (I don't want to miss the call).

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.

I hate calling the doctor, but after passing out last year, I learned that I need to listen to my wife, and my body a bit more.  I feel like an idiot, but need to do what I need to do....

[charby]

Eat a couple bananas and drink some OJ.

[K Frame]

If you were still sweating profusely, chances are it was just a serious case of heat exhaustion, but you certainly could have been moving towards heat stroke.

Heat stroke generally results in your body cooling mechanism failing completely. You stop sweating, and your body temperature soars.

I've  seen one case of heat stroke -- when I was a student trainer at college. Football player collapsed and seizured on a brutal day. No sweating, he felt like a frying pan, classic heat stroke.

I sent two guys for a stretcher and an ambulance and made everyone else take off their shirts, which we packed around the guy and then dumped the ice and water from the water donkeys on him.

When the stretcher got there we got him into the shower room and continued to hose him with cool water and ice.

He recovered but he was mighty sick for a couple of days.


I ran into a case of heat exhaustion on Saturday. I got up early and did some more work on the mortar on the front of my house. I was in the shade, and it was relatively cool, and I quit by 11 a.m. Then I went back out around 4, when the sun was behind the trees, and put new mortar in the joints.

I think that's what really got me.


If you don't have any Gatorade or one of the other sports drinks, make your own. It's not as effective, but it will get you there.

In a quart of water, mix a quarter of a cup of sugar, 1/2 T. salt, and 1 to 2 cups of orange juice.

Stir until everything is dissolved, and drink.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Just got a call from Doc....head in stat....they wanted to send an ambulance, but I'l ok to drive....heading in now....Vitals, blood work, exam, possible hydration....

[K Frame]

Not surprising at all.

Let us know.

[mfree]

Almost sounds like high blood pressure. But, I'm not a doctor, only an occasional sufferer...

[41magsnub]

If you were still sweating profusely, chances are it was just a serious case of heat exhaustion, but you certainly could have been moving towards heat stroke.

Heat stroke generally results in your body cooling mechanism failing completely. You stop sweating, and your body temperature soars.

I've  seen one case of heat stroke -- when I was a student trainer at college. Football player collapsed and seizured on a brutal day. No sweating, he felt like a frying pan, classic heat stroke.

I sent two guys for a stretcher and an ambulance and made everyone else take off their shirts, which we packed around the guy and then dumped the ice and water from the water donkeys on him.

When the stretcher got there we got him into the shower room and continued to hose him with cool water and ice.

He recovered but he was mighty sick for a couple of days.


I ran into a case of heat exhaustion on Saturday. I got up early and did some more work on the mortar on the front of my house. I was in the shade, and it was relatively cool, and I quit by 11 a.m. Then I went back out around 4, when the sun was behind the trees, and put new mortar in the joints.

I think that's what really got me.


If you don't have any Gatorade or one of the other sports drinks, make your own. It's not as effective, but it will get you there.

In a quart of water, mix a quarter of a cup of sugar, 1/2 T. salt, and 1 to 2 cups of orange juice.

Stir until everything is dissolved, and drink.

I agree, sounds like heat exhaustion to me as well.  I've seen it before from my Army days, if you actually had heat stroke I think you would know it because of the symptoms such as not sweating anymore, seizure, nausea, and others.  Neither heat exhaustion or stroke are something to mess with of course, good plan talking to the DR and trying to stay cool.

[Ex-MA Hole]

She called it heat stroke.....however, I have no problem with it really being heat exhaustion, and her not bothering to differentiate...she was the on call Doc, and I'm not crazy about her.....

All my vitals are fine, blood work came back fine with the exception of my muscle enzymes....normal was 83ish to 232, I was 323.

She is going to have a few additional test run on the blood that was taken, but said it was classic case of heat stroke/ exhaustion....she told me to stay on the fluids, increase my salt intake and lay low today AND tomorrow (as needed)....

I'm going to try to get some work done and then take a nap.....M

[BridgeRunner]

Glad you're squared away for now, but it sounds to me like asthma problems in addition to heatstroke.  I'm a newb to the whole respiratory problems things, but I tend to research pretty thoroughly. 

Persistent exhaustion, feeling just a bit unsteady--the quick glass of wine feeling, but for hours or days, feeling too tired to do anything, etc., were what I was experiencing just before having a bunch of asthma attacks and eventually ending in the ER (after a day of tilling my yard, coincidentally). 

You're an otherwise healthy guy, I'm guessing.  You have a lot of lung capacity and wide bronchi.  When they are moderately inflamed, you still feel more or less ok, or at least you can stay conscious, but you aren't getting as much air with as little work as normal.  Vitals can look normal, but you're exhausted and feel off because you're working harder than you realize to breathe.

Or I'm just seeing asthma everywhere because I seem to be having issues myself still pretty regularly.  But if you have some albuterol, I think maybe you should be using it. 

[Parker Dean]

I know that I should have stopped about 20 minutes before I did, but wanted to finish one last section of lawn.....

That "just a little bit more" will get ya every damn time.

Not sure about heat exhaustion, but each time a person has heat stroke, they get more and  more susceptible to it later on.

Tell me about it. I've done it to myself so many times now that it doesn't take anything at all. The first time I was 18 and went to work at a company building rafters. I was young, stupid, and out-of-work so I put in an application one day. They immediately told me to go out back and find the foreman. He immediately put me on the line in 100 degree temps, where at that age anything over 85 meant I stayed inside in the A/C. Needless to say it didn't take long before I felt ill and sat down. Within seconds all I could hear was buzzing and saw nothing but yellow. I have no idea how long that was of course but probably not long and when I came back the foreman told me to go home. I was wiped out for a week after.

Then there were a couple of times helping friends move. For some reason they usually choose August

The last time was just a few years ago putting a water pump in a Ford in a 100+ degree garage. By this time I could recognize my own symptoms and knew when I stopped sweating and felt cool again I was in trouble but the good old "just get this last bit" reared its ugly head again. I made it inside and passed out on the floor under the fan.

Now I pretty much just stay inside most of the summer months.

[Perd Hapley]

I guess I'll stop whining about my own little problem mowing the lawn this weekend.  Or, I could brag about how I didn't get heat exhaustion.   

[The Annoyed Man]

What is this 'lawn' of which you speak?

[grislyatoms]

lay low today AND tomorrow (as needed)....

I'm going to try to get some work done and then take a nap.....M

That work better not be outside or I'll have to come stick my foot u... I'll have to post a strongly worded... I'll have to give you a significant look, like this one.

 

[Lennyjoe]

My lawn is in need of attention but I think it will be ok until Wed when we are suppose to see a break in the temps.  I don't get home until 5:30 in the eve and aint gonna risk pushing the mower tonight.  Good to hear you got yourself squared away.

[Manedwolf]

It's going to be even hotter tomorrow. 98, heat index well over 100.

[Ex-MA Hole]

Yeah, I know....
I'm working out of my basement today....sales calls from my home number!!!!

[Manedwolf]

A/C at the office is mostly keeping up, I think there's a problem with the roof units. Temp at home is 68 degrees, the cats are lazing about with the shades drawn down while it's terribly hot outside.

[Declaration Day]

Days like this make it tough to own a lawn service company.  On these 90 degree + days, we start super early (which is a violation of noise ordinances, but everyone seems to understand) and cut a few corners where we reasonably can.  We were done at 1:30 today and I'm sitting in my A/C.  Heat and humidity are no joke, even for young guys.

[Balog]

I've found Camelbacks to be a huge help when working in the heat. Having a huge amount of water in an easily carried and used form makes it so much easier to stay hydrated.