I find the NHS’s annual advice for preventing heat exhaustion and heatstroke infuriating to the point of apoplexy - it’s SO DANGEROUS!
These screenshots are from the BBC News app’s annual ‘what should you do if you think someone has heat exhaustion or heatstroke?’, article in association with the NHS - it’s the same every year and every year I become near-apoplectic with frustration because it’s just SO DANGEROUS!
A temperature over 40ºC, without pyrexia (fever), is known as hyperthermia and is a sign that the body’s thermoregulation has failed. Some of the symptoms of hyperthermia are similar to those of hyponatraemia, and they may - or may not - be linked. Start by using cold, damp, towels and flannels which have been in the freezer (in freezer bags so that they don’t actually freeze), then start drinking oral rehydration solution (even sports drinks would do).
If you continue to drink plain water, while suffering from the symptoms of heat exhaustion, then you’re greatly increasing the risk of heat exhaustion progressing to heatstroke.
What it states at the top of this screenshot is true - heat exhaustion will progress to heatstroke if not treated, the way to treat heat exhaustion IS NOT to “drink plenty of water” - the more you drink, the more you pee and, when you pee, you lose electrolytes (not just sodium, but potassium too, in fact you lose more potassium when you pee) so, as I’m sure is now obvious, if you’re not replacing the lost sodium, potassium and other electrolytes, you’re increasing your risk of developing heatstroke.
I’m glad they mention ORS and sports drinks here, but they’re still prioritising plain water.
These are the signs and symptoms of hyponatraemia, and I’m sure you can see how they correlate with the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion and heatstroke.
The signs and symptoms of hyponatraemia
So, what are electrolytes, and why are they important…? The human body has seven primary electrolyte ions
Sodium (Na⁺)
Potassium (K⁺)
Calcium (Ca²⁺)
Magnesium (Mg²⁺)
Chloride (Cl⁻)
Hydrogen phosphate (HPO₄⁻)
Hydrogen carbonate (HCO₃⁻)
Electrolytes are vital for maintaining homeostasis (the steady state of internal physical and chemical conditions maintained by living organisms), and can be positively (cations) or negatively (anions) charged. Both sodium and potassium are positively charged. Basically electrolytes are vital for regulating vital physiological functions, such as neurological function and cardiovascular function. Sodium and potassium regulate the balance of fluid within cells and so, too much of one will lead to too little of the other, and vice versa, so the symptoms of hyperkalaemia (elevated serum potassium) may occur alongside the symptoms of hyponatraemia.
It blows my mind that our public health service, which is obviously trusted by the public to give accurate, reliable, health advice, is still putting out this dangerous bollocks every single year. I don’t understand how there’s nobody within the NHS going “hang on, this is actually extremely dangerous”, and correcting it, but there evidently isn’t.
People in countries which are used to having (very) hot summers I would hope would already understand this (I know many Aussies are very clued up on the importance of of oral rehydration therapy and the importance of electrolytes, and I’d hope the same would go for people in southern Europe, the southern US, Southern Asia, etc., but we’re not used to having regularly hot summers here in the UK).
Okay, end of rant but, PLEASE, if you’re in the UK, IGNORE the NHS’s advice to “drink plenty of water” and buy ORS sachets or tablets (Boots own brand ORS is £3.50 for 6 sachets), but avoid buying anything which contains caffeine as of course caffeine is a diuretic, which means you’ll pee more defeating the object of taking the solution. Don’t bother with all the fancy ones you’ll find on Amazon, they’re extremely expensive because they contain vitamins, when you’re dehydrated you need electrolytes and the main ones are sodium and potassium.
I feel that the NHS should be handing out ORS in very hot weather as a public health measure to combat the risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke especially to children, the elderly and people with conditions which mean they have trouble regulating their electrolytes (eg those with IBD, coeliac disease, IBS, and other GI conditions).
This post has been written by Human Intelligence, not Artificial ‘Intelligence’ (I’ve been accused in multiple subs of using AI to write my posts/comments; I have NEVER - nor will I ever - use AI, everything I post is either from my own brain and/or trusted sources).
