Home PodcastJulie Alli Tips on how to survive a heatwave

Tips on how to survive a heatwave

by Zahid Jadwat

Parts of Mzansi sweltered under the first heatwave of the season this week, with the mercury breaching the 40 degrees Celsius in parts of the Northern Cape. The heatwave also claimed several lives.

A heatwave is a period of unusually hot weather that lasts for several days or longer. It is typically defined as a period of several days where the temperature is significantly above the average temperature for that area during that time of year.

Heatwaves can be dangerous because they can cause heat exhaustion, heat stroke, and other heat-related illnesses. They can also contribute to wildfires and other natural disasters.

In the sparsely-populated Northern Cape, temperatures above 40°C claimed eight lives. Meanwhile, in central and eastern parts of KwaZulu-Natal, temperatures ranged between 32°C and 39°C this week.

A Cape Town doctor, Salim Parker, warned that any continuation of a heatwave together with prolonged loadshedding might lift the death toll. He therefore urged the public to familiarise themselves with the symptoms and steps to take for heat-related illnesses.

 

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Heat exhaustion during a heatwave

Heat exhaustion might present any one of a range of symptoms, such as: 

  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Muscle cramps
  • Stomach pains
  • Sweating


“That’s easy to treat,” Dr Parker explained. “What we do is get people out of the hot areas, we try to make sure that they’re not dehydrated.”

“Get a person who is heat exhausted to a cool area, make sure they’re taking enough fluids. What we can also do is sponge them down with a light sponge,” said Dr Parker.

However, he noted that while exercise might be an option to regulate body heat, this would be pointless in environments hotter than 35°C. He also pointed out that sweating would be ineffective in humid environments, thus ice packs might help.

 

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Heat stroke

One of the more serious heat-related illnesses is heat stroke. “Heat stroke can lead to a 50% mortality [rate] and that is much more serious; it’s a medical emergency,” said Dr Parker.

Heat strokes might present any one of a range of symptoms, such as:

 

  • Confusion
  • Red, dry skin
  • Fits/convulsions
  • Indiscernible speech
  • Stomach cramps
  • Vomiting
  • Leg pains
  • Fatigue
  • General feeling of unwellness.

 

In such a case, Dr Parker said “the first thing to do is to try to get the patient to a hospital. Whilst on the way to hospital, try to cool down the person by using a fan, ice packs under the arm, as much cold fluids as necessary.”

Julie Allie and Dr Salim Parker also spoke about protecting infants and children from heatwaves. Listen to the full discussion here:


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