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Dehydration and Heat Stroke

Many parents are careful to take precautions when out in the sun against sunburn, but a lot of parents may not think about the damage that the heat alone can do. While it may seem unlikely for a child to suffer from a heat stroke or dehydration due to being in the heat too long without enough liquids, it is possible, and it is something that parents should be aware of. Many of the symptoms of heat stroke and dehydration are similar to symptoms an adult would experience, but there are also a few that children will have that adults would not. It is important for parents to be aware of these symptoms in case their child is enduring them. Below is a list of symptoms children can have that may point to a heat stroke or dehydration, what parents should do if their child experiences any of these symptoms, as well as ways to avoid heat stroke and dehydration:

Dehydration—

• Causes—
Dehydration is known to most parents as possibly occurring when their child has diarrhea with an illness, and they know to take precautions when this happens. What many parents don’t realize, though, is that simply playing in the sun for long periods can cause a child to sweat out most of their body fluids. If the water that is lost through sweat is not replaced well enough, a child can suffer from dehydration.

• Symptoms—
While not all children will experience all of these symptoms, any and/or all of them can be a sign of dehydration in kids:

Increased thirst

Less frequent urination

Dizziness

Confusion

Dry skin

Dry mouth and tongue

Dry eyes

Fatigue

Increased heart rate

Sunken stomach, eyes or cheeks

High fever

Irritability

• Treatment—
It is important that you not try to diagnose dehydration yourself, and you should instead take your child to a doctor immediately if you have any suspicions that they are dehydrated. How your doctor will recommend treating your child’s dehydration will depend solely on the severity. If your child has mild dehydration, you will just need to rehydrate your child at home under your doctor’s guidance. This will include giving your child plenty of fluids—pedialyte is an excellent one to fight off dehydration—and keeping them relaxed and out of the sun until they are better. It is also good to feed the child foods that contain a lot of water, such as melons. If your child has moderate dehydration, the doctor may require an IV to put fluids back in your child’s system, and if it is severe, it is an emergency situation and your child will need to stay in the hospital until they are better.

• Avoiding Dehydration—
Make sure that your child drinks plenty of fluids while they are out in the sun, and keep an eye on them to make sure that they are drinking more than they are losing. Watch how many times they need to use the restroom while they are outside, and try to let your children spend most of their outdoors time during the coolest parts of the day. You should also keep many sports drinks available for your child, because these help prevent against dehydration much more than juices or sodas.

Heat Stroke

Causes—
Heat stroke is caused when a person’s body temperature doesn’t lower like it should. When a person is in heat for a prolonged period of time, they will sweat so that their body temperature lowers. Sometimes, though, under certain circumstances, the body will fail to do this, resulting in heat stroke. Usually this happens shortly after a person becomes dehydrated, because they will no longer be sweating. Some conditions that can lead to heat stroke include extreme heat or high humidity or vigorous activity in the hot sun.

Symptoms—

Symptoms of heat stroke in children can include any of the following:

Headache

High body temperature

Flushed skin

Lack of sweat and urination

Seizure

Fatigue

Confusion

Rapid heartbeat

Hallucination

Loss of consciousness

Treatment—

Treatment of heat stroke must be immediate and must be treated as an emergency. A heat stroke can cause permanent damage or even death in a child who is not treated quickly enough. If you believe that your child is experiencing a heat stroke, you should call 911 immediately and take immediate measures until the help does arrive. This can include immediately getting the child indoors and removing their clothing. You can apply cool water to the skin and fan them to help them cool off. Another way to help cool the child off more quickly is to apply icepacks to the groin and armpit areas. You should keep their feet elevated and give them as much fluid as possible to drink. When the help arrives, they will need to give the child fluids through an IV and keep them in the hospital until they are better.

Avoiding Heat Stroke—

You can help your child avoid heat stroke by taking many of the same precautions as you would to avoid dehydration, including supplying plenty of drinks to your child and keeping them outside only during the cooler parts of the day. Another thing that you can do that can help prevent your child from experiencing a heat stroke is to have them wear light, breathable, loose-fitting clothing, as well as keeping them inside on extremely hot and humid days.

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