Sunstroke, or heatstroke as it is called in the medical literature, can affect everybody, not only the children and the elderly. I read that on the Internet after a mild form of it knocked me out of my usual volunteering for Cancer Research at the London marathon. I had a terrible headache, some light-headedness and nausea, my muscles were achy and I felt shivery, all these symptoms making me think I had a cold. But at the end of the day, I heard about the young athlete who died during the marathon, my attention was drawn to the effect of sun and heat on the human body and it dawned on me that I actually had a mild sunstroke! The previous day I had done some sunbathing on the common, tempted by the chance to absorb some sunshine after the long winter. I had some water on me, I had covered my head and left for the shadows soon after twelve at noon, so I thought I had done all well. But, as it happened, after the long winter, this first hour and a half exposure to the direct scorching sun, proved to be too much for me. Born and raised in Bulgaria, where the summers were extremely hot, it would have never occurred to me that sun could cause me a problem. Well, it is obvious to me now that after over twenty years in the not-that-sunny London, gone are the days, when I could sleep for two hours on the sunny beach and only get nicely tanned, not burned. Things have changed, the sun also has changed and we need to consider this. Besides, the sudden changes of temperatures do not allow for the body to adapt.

I went on Internet in order to check if I was self-diagnosing right and I found some information I didn’t know before, so I decided to share it. But then the temperatures went so low, that I postponed publishing it for the summer. As this Bank holiday brought another heat-waive to Britain, here is what I have found for you on: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/heat-stroke-symptoms-and-treatment#2-3

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 104 degrees Fahrenheit ( 40 C).But fainting may be the first sign. Other symptoms may include:

• Throbbing headache
• Dizziness and light-headedness
• Lack of sweating despite the heat
• Red, hot, and dry skin
• Muscle weakness or cramps
• Nausea and vomiting
• Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Behavioural changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering
• Seizures
• Unconsciousness

First Aid for Heat Stroke

If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, immediately call 911 or transport the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal.

While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the person to an air-conditioned environment — or at least a cool, shady area — and remove any unnecessary clothing.

If possible, take the person’s core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit. (If no thermometers are available, don’t hesitate to initiate first aid.)

Try these cooling strategies:

• Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water from a sponge or garden hose.
• Apply ice packs to the patient’s armpits, groin, neck, and back. Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin, cooling them may reduce body temperature.
• Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water.
• If the person is young and healthy and suffered heat stroke while exercising vigorously — what’s known as exertional heat stroke — you can use an ice bath to help cool the body.

Do not use ice for older patients, young children, patients with chronic illness, or anyone whose heat stroke occurred without vigorous exercise. Doing so can be dangerous.

If emergency response is delayed, call the hospital emergency room for additional instructions.

My advice on preventing even a “mild” sunstroke/heatstroke:

1. Always keep hydrated – a bottle of one and a half litre of water is a minimum on a hot day. Avoid too much coffee/tea as they are diuretic and can dehydrate you. Alcohol does the same. Cold drinks cause the body to work harder in order to raise their temperature to its own temperature of 37C. The people in Eastern cultures use hot drinks in hot weather, this causes perspiration, which cools the body. Remember, one of the symptoms of heatstroke is lack of perspiration!
2. Keep out of the sun between 11.30 am and 3.30 pm when sunbathing. Some people like sleeping till late when they are on holiday, so they would arrive at the beach at nearly lunch-time, which is the opposite of what we have to be doing for the best benefits. Consider this: getting up early enough to get the benefit of the morning sun before 11.30 am, then hiding from the scorching sun lunch-time when you can eat your food slowly and let it be digested well, then perhaps going back in bed for an afternoon nap, then going to the beach again for a long swim, letting your skin absorb naturally the micronutrients from the sea.
3. Always cover your head when sunbathing.
4. Applying sunscreen will protect your skin from burning, fast ageing and skin cancer, but it is not a guarantee against sunstroke/heatstroke. The opposite is valid, too. Not applying sunscreen does not necessarily mean you will get sunstroke. But, it feels horrible if you get them together. So, the length of time of your sunbathing is also important. When I was taking school-kids to the beach, my instructions were to expose them to the sun for five min on each side (20 min altogether) on the first day. It is a text-book rule that darker skins can take longer in the sun without burning, but this can increase the risk of sunstroke. I think this is what happened to me.
5. Allow your skin to tan slowly and gradually by using the benefits of the sun in small portions, but regularly. Get a pair of shorts and a vest in your bag for work, put them on when you finish work and walk to the nearest park/common/garden for half an hour on a sunny day. This could bring you more benefits than exposing yourself heavily to the sun for one or two days, risking to get (almost) ill afterwards. And, you will be well prepared for your summer holiday at a beach.
6. Sunbathing when hungry or after a large meal could also contribute to getting a sunstroke/heatstroke.
7. Getting up and walking around from time to time while sunbathing can decrease the risk of sunstroke/heatstroke, especially if there is a shadow, or a breezy area where you can stay for a while. When sunbathing near water, it is easier to get cooled from time to time, but this could also contribute to the temptation to stay longer in the sun.

Here are a few tips for treating burned skin. If you get home with skin red like a boiled lobster, apply thin layer of natural yogurt on it. It will take the heat form the skin and will dry in a few seconds. Leave it there for a bit, to allow your skin to absorb some of the fat from the yogurt, which will help your skin heal. Applying any oil now will make the healing of your skin more difficult.  Shower with warm water only, tap dry and if your skin is still screaming, use the yogurt again. Strong chamomile tea, cooled and poured over the burned skin will calm it down. You can also tap it on the skin with some cotton. Neat lavender essence heals well burned skin, but it would give you painful burning sensation first. So, use it later for skin recovery, after the redness is already gone.