Volume 2 Issue 2
Summer 2007 Heat Stroke & Heat Exhaustion
Summer is a time of activity and outdoor pursuits. The intense heat in the Central Valley and Sierra foothills can cause heat exhaustion or heatstroke. Warning signs of heat exhaustion include dizziness, nausea, headache, weakness and elevated temperature (100-104 degrees F). If untreated, heat stroke can occur and cause cardiovascular collapse, coma and death. The contributing factors to heat related illness may include medications (aspirin, antihistamines, alcohol, psychotropic drugs, and lithium), infancy or old age, heart failure, fatigue, lack of sleep, high humidity and dehydration. Loss of the ability to sweat is a dangerous sign. If heat exhaustion develops, the affected person should attempt to get out of the heat, avoid direct sunlight, drink cool water, use a fan, stop physical exertion, apply cool compresses and lay down. If heat stroke occurs, it is a true medical emergency. Go directly to an emergency room or call 911.
The intense ultraviolet radiation at higher altitude can cause severe sunburn to those who do not take precautions. Burns can occur in much less time due to the thinning of the atmosphere as altitude increases. Precautions include wearing a wide brimmed hat, long sleeves and pants, applying high sun protection factor (SPF) cream to exposed skin and limiting exposure during the midday. If a burn occurs, avoid all sun exposure. Aloe vera gel applied directly to the burn is very helpful in reducing pain. The anti-inflammatory drug indomethacin is helpful in suppressing the burn reaction in the skin if taken early. Topical steroid creams are of little benefit but high doses of oral steroids can be helpful. Both of these require a physician’s prescription.
The cornea of the eye is vulnerable to burns as well. A good quality pair of sunglasses that blocks ultraviolet rays is usually sufficient to prevent burns. If extensive time is spent on snow at high altitude, snow “blindness” can be very painful and disabling. High altitude mountain climbers wear glacier goggles that have side screens to prevent light coming in from the side of the glasses.
Other summer time hazards include ticks, mosquitoes, rattlesnakes, drowning, lightning, falls and poison oak. Use common sense and take precautions to avoid an unpleasant or deadly outdoor experience.
On a Personal Note
As promised, I am giving a follow-up report to my experience at a silent 10 day meditation retreat in North Fork, California. The requirement to remain silent for 9 days was easy for me. I am comfortable with silence and enjoy hiking for the solitude and silence it affords me.
As promised, I am giving a follow-up report to my experience at a silent 10 day meditation retreat in North Fork, California. The requirement to remain silent for 9 days was easy for me. I am comfortable with silence and enjoy hiking for the solitude and silence it affords me.
Sitting in meditation for 11 hours daily (an hour or two at a time) was difficult. The body rebels and develops pains, aches and unpleasant sensations. The mind rebels too and insists on being “in charge”. On day seven, my mind was being particularly busy and would not quit chattering away. ‘I” told my mind to be quiet, it simply had to do what ‘I’ had decided to do, which was to perform the meditation technique properly. After that episode, my mind become increasingly quiet and I finally was able to experience the peace and tranquility that comes from a mind at rest.
Perhaps the most difficult part of the course was the several nights of insomnia that kept me awake most of the night. Getting up at 4 AM to start the daily meditation routine was nearly impossible when I was so sleep deprived. As a result, by the end of the course, I had a very quiet mind but exhausted body.
A major insight I had on day four of the course was how much of my chronic physical pain is caused by my resistance to what is. The meditative technique of observing a physical sensation without reacting with aversion or resistance is very powerful. Suffering is markedly reduced when our mind does not resist an experience that is happening. Learning this ability to observe our experience before choosing our reaction is extremely powerful.
I recommend a course such as the one I took for people who have a strong will, courage to experience all that arises during meditation, and a desire to grow.
Daniel Blodgett MD