With the festive season and summer in full swing, many will travel to the coast and spend more time outdoors.
With this will come more health risks associated with the intense heat.
ER24 communications officer Russel Meiring says emergency services are generally very busy during the festive season.
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Meiring says ER24 teams are regularly called into action over the holiday season to attend to:
• Drownings
• Heat-related injuries
• Burns
• Breathing difficulties
• Bites and stings
Meiring says: “Watersports are a lot of fun, but if you or your children are not experienced in performing them safely and correctly, they can lead to accidents.
“It is essential that you ensure there is adequate supervision.
“In South Africa, summer brings high temperatures and dry air.
“These can cause dehydration and allergy-related breathing issues, especially if you are unaccustomed to them.
“Stay hydrated, be wary of staying outdoors too long and watch children closely for signs of allergies.
“Heatstroke is very common, if left untreated, heat-related injuries can be serious and even lead to death.”
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Heat-related injuries will present in four categories:
• Heat cramps (mild)
• Heat cramps (intermediate)
• Heat exhaustion and heatstroke (severe)
Meiring says: “You can usually prevent heat injuries by staying hydrated.
“However, knowing the signs of dehydration can help you prevent the problem from becoming dangerous.”
A child who is dehydrated will show the following symptoms:
• Dry mouth and tongue
• No tears when crying
• Less wet nappies than usual
• Sunken eyes, cheeks
• A sunken soft spot on top of skull (babies)
• A listless or irritable demeanour
An adult suffering from dehydration will experience the following:
• Extreme thirst
• Less-frequent urination
• Dark-coloured urine
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Confusion
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Meiring notes there are different grades or degrees of dehydration and not all these signs have to be present but that one also needs to be careful.
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