Heat Illness Sports Medicine 2 Gilbert High School

Hyperthermia n n n Environmental stress can adversely affect an athlete’s performance Heat is the leading cause of environmental stress Heat Stress

Heat Stress n n Preventable Many athlete’s suffer from this yearly Hot, humid environments particularly vulnerable Body temperature control is key

Factors on Body Temperature n n n Metabolic Heat Production~ heat created by body in physical activity Conductive Heat Exchange~ Contact with other objects = heat loss or gain Convective Heat Exchange~ Body heat can be controlled by circulating medium (i. e. wind)

Factors cont’d n n Radiant Heat Exchange~ Often from sunshine, causes rise in body temperature Evaporative Heat Loss~ Sweat is bodies ability to cool down. Sometimes gets overwhelmed and body retains rather than loses heat

Intrinsic Factors for Heat Illness n n n History of heat illness Heat acclimatization Lower Fitness Higher body fat Dehydration Recent Illness n n Salt Deficiency Certain Medications Warrior Mentality Reluctance to report problems

Extrinsic Factors for Heat Illness n n Intense/prolonged exercise with minimal breaks High Temperature and humidity Inappropriate work/rest ratios Lack of education about heat illness n n n No emergency plan to identify heat illness No shade Breaks limited Minimal access to fluids Lack of recognition of warning signs

Dehydration n Lack of replenishing fluids 2% Body Weight Loss affects performance Signs/Symptoms: Dry mouth, thirsty, irritability, headache, weakness, dizziness, cramps, chills, vomiting, nausea, decreased performance

Rehydration n n Move athlete to cool environment to rehydrate IV fluids vs. drinking fluids Clear urine Sports drink vs. water

Heat Cramps n n Tend to occur later in an activity Poor diet, large losses of sodium and electrolytes, heavy sweating Involuntary muscular cramps TX: Hydration, light stretching, relaxing, massaging of cramping muscles

Heat Exhaustion n n Occurs when athlete can no longer participate in sport Inadequate replacement of fluids lost through sweating Athlete collapses, profuse sweating, pale skin, mildly elevated temp (102), dizziness, hyperventilation, rapid pulse TX: Removal from play, ingestion of fluids, cool environment

Heat Stroke n n n Serious, life threatening emergency Sudden collapse with loss of consciousness, flushed hot skin, lack of sweating, shallow breathing, strong pulse, temperature (106) TX: Transport to Hospital Immediately, keep as cool as possible until help arrives

Return to Play after Illness n n Athlete’s need to be within 1% of the body weight loss before activity Symptoms need to be gone Clearance by a physician Need to be continually monitored throughout the season

Prevention of Heat Illness n n n Gradual Acclimatization Identification of susceptible individuals Lightweight uniforms Routine weight record keeping Unrestricted fluid replacement

Acclimatization n n Becoming accustomed to the heat Becoming accustomed to working out in the heat Usually takes 10 -14 days Practice breakdowns including several breaks help

Identifying Individuals n n Know medical History Larger individuals Obviously out of shape individuals Recently ill individuals

Uniforms n n n The more on, the hotter an individual is Uniforms should be made of breathable materials Change out of wet clothes often Light Colors Limit equipment until acclimatized

Keeping Weight Records n n n Players weigh in before and after practice Identify loss of more than 2% Return to play happens after normal body weight achieved

Fluid Replacement n n NO Restrictions on fluid replacement on athletes during practice Frequent breaks Hydrate BEFORE practice and after 8 oz for every pound lost