As of June 22, Beijing has had a nine-day hot weather this month. Recently, the number of heatstroke-related cases transferred by Beijing 120 emergency center has increased significantly. Most of the cases appeared around some popular scenic spots, and the incidence of heat stroke has increased compared with previous years.

What are the manifestations of heat stroke? There are three main types of heat stroke caused by high temperature, namely aura heat stroke, mild heat stroke and severe heat stroke. Aura heat stroke is mainly as much sweating, dizziness, weak limbs, panic, shortness of breath, and lack of concentration. The patient could recover to normal in a short time when leaving the high temperature environment and entering a cool and ventilated environment. In addition to aura symptoms, mild heat stroke also is manifested as fever, early circulatory dysfunction, flushing, sweating, burning skin and other symptoms, and even wet and cold limbs, paleness, rapid heartbeat, dry skin, etc. Heat stroke caused by high temperature will not only cause direct damage to various organ systems in the human body, but also may lead to some neurological sequelae.

There are mainly the following three steps for the first aid of heat stroke patients. The first step is to transfer, which means to quickly move the patient to a ventilated, cool, and dry place, away from high temperature environment. The second step is to cool down, make the patient lie flat and unbutton the clothes. You could use a fan or electric fan to blow air or apply cooling oil, to accelerate heat dissipation. Cold water could be used to wipe the patient's whole body for continuous physical cooling. The third step is hydration. It is necessary to drink some water when the patient is conscious. It is recommended to drink a small amount of water for multiple times instead of a large amount of water quickly, so as to avoid electrolyte imbalance, causing adverse consequences. Generally, patients with aura or mild heat stroke can gradually return to normal after the above first aid.

Severe heat stroke includes heat cramps, heat exhaustion and thermoplegia, of which heat stroke is the most serious, and fatal emergency with high mortality. It is usually manifested as central nervous system symptoms and high fever. Patients may have heat dissipation difficulties, headache, dizziness, and even coma and other dangerous manifestations. In addition to rising body temperature, many irreversible reactions may happen. It is necessary to seek medical treatment as soon as possible. People who perform physical work and strenuous exercise in high temperature and humidity environments, and the elderly who are weak or have chronic diseases are all high-risk groups for heat stroke. It should be noted that some elderly people live indoors for a long time, who are unwilling to use air conditioner because of living habits. They usually close doors and windows tightly to stop air from coming into the room. In such a closed environment, the temperature and humidity are relatively high, and heat stroke is easy to occur, resulting in serious consequences.

Here are some health tips from Beijing 120. There are some methods to escape from the high temperature. In hot weather during the day or evening, it is recommended to avoid direct outdoor work, sports, or travelling activities. In the indoor environment, it is necessary to turn on the air conditioning fan in a timely manner to ensure safety, which is the first priority. Timely scientific on-site first aid for threatened and aura heat stroke patients can relieve symptoms and promote recovery. If a patient shows severe symptoms of heat stroke, he or she must be sent to the hospital for treatment immediately. Meanwhile, it is necessary to call 120 as soon as possible, so as not to delay the treatment.