They say the heat in the desert is different; it’s “dry heat.” This is true, it is different and it can also be dangerous.
Heat-related illnesses or injuries occur more often in children than in healthy adults.
This is because children’s and teens’ bodies take longer to adjust to changing environments. Kids are usually running around, sweating more and skipping water breaks because they are having fun playing or doing sports.
This week my 7-year-old suffered from a heat illness, and I didn’t recognize it until it had almost reached an extremely dangerous level. There are a few different levels of heat-related illnesses or injuries:
Heat Cramps
Heat cramps can be the mildest form of a heat-related illness and can sound something like “Mommy, my tummy hurts.” They can be muscle spasms, or cramping muscles after sweating a lot during high heat. These symptoms occur before heat exhaustion which is the next level of heat-related illness/injury. From my own experience with heat-related illness, this is where I made my first mistake of brushing him off. I told him to drink some water and stop snacking so much. I mean, it was just after lunch, and my kids had already had their 100th snack.
Visible Changes In The Skin
The next sign I missed (and I was certified as an EMT for years before I had kids) was how pink and dry his skin was. My other children were playing in the pool, and he had no interest. Again, I told him he needed to drink more water. After all, he spent a few hours early in the morning running with his siblings and our neighbors. I sent him inside the air conditioning and he spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch.
Other Signs
Some other signs of heat exhaustion are feeling faint/dizzy, excessive sweating, clammy skin, nausea/vomiting, and muscle cramps. You should immediately move the person to a cooler area. Remove any tight-fitting clothing and offer SIPS of cool water. Seek medical attention if symptoms and cramping do not improve within an hour. If left untreated heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke or death.
Now, I’m not trying to scare you into not letting your kids play outside when it’s hot, but I’m also trying to make you aware that these symptoms can seem minuscule or like simple childhood complaints until they’re not.
Signs of Heat Stroke
Signs of heat stroke are elevated body temp above 104 (taken rectally). Sweating has stopped, and skin can appear flushed, hot, and dry, and heart rate and breathing may be rapid. Your child may become confused, irritable, and lose consciousness.
Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency and you should call 9-1-1 immediately.
Bring your child to an air-conditioned area or shade if indoors isn’t possible. Remove clothing and place your child in a cool bath, if this isn’t available, place cold towels over their body, under the armpit and groin areas. These need to be replaced often and kept cool. Unless your child is alert and can sip water themselves, don’t force water.
My Experience Managing Heat-Related Illness
While my son was lying on the couch after he barely touched his dinner, I sat down with him, and he laid on my lap. He was still hot even after being inside for a few hours. I took his temperature, and the forehead thermometer read 100.8.
I still just thought, “Oh, he’s getting sick or has a virus”.
Then it hit me! This poor kid was out all morning running around. The heat index was about 105 and he is notorious for losing things, like his water bottle! He didn’t say anything about the bottle being missing until I realized he had been drinking water from these small metal cups we have. My child was definitely dehydrated. He was borderline between heat exhaustion and heat stroke, and I MISSED IT! I placed cool, wet washcloths on him, and he laid under the fan. Finally, his temp came down. By bedtime, he didn’t have a tummy ache, and he said his headache was gone.
The next morning I made sure all the kids’ water bottles were available and full. They went outside to play around 7:30 am and I set a timer for every fifteen minutes. I popped my head out to make them stop for a water break. My mistakes are not only a lesson to me but I also wanted to share how easy it is to miss, especially in kids.
Know the signs, take lots of breaks, have your kids play early in the day, wear light, breathable clothing, and try to avoid, caffeine and high-sugar drinks. Water is best.
For more details on heat-related illness/injuries visit this CDC website.
June is National Safety Month, and the National Safety Council (NSC) leads this campaign to bring awareness to preventable injuries. Heat-related illnesses/injuries are completely preventable. Just knowing and OBSERVING the signs can make all the difference.
The opinions expressed in this post are those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of El Paso Mom, its executive team, other contributors to the site, its sponsors or partners, or any organizations the aforementioned might be affiliated with.
