No doubt about it. Life is difficult enough for the elderly without adding summer time heat to the mix. Summertime heat-stroke and sun stroke along with hot temperature related dehydration are certainly no picnic. Add in heat related medical comprises if a patient seeks medical or surgical care overseas involving “medical tourism” or “med-travel” and you have recipe for potential complexities and complications – all for the most part unnecessary as well as certainly unintended.
Over the years various terms have been used to describe heat related illnesses. For example heat exhaustion, heat stroke and sun stroke. No doubt about it, even though the words and the names are different and distinct each describes the range of symptoms associated with excessive and excessively elevated body temperature as well as a failure of the sweating mechanism of the body to cool the body adequately.
What of heat stroke? First be reassured that while heat exhaustion is common, real serious casualties and even death from heat stroke is rare. Most people if they feel very very hot will stop exercising (if they are foolish to do such a thing in a most hot environment), and will automatically seek a cooler environment, drink and liquids.
What is interesting is that in our general cultures as well as medical concerns and perceptions of North American and European medical cultures of the awareness of both high blood pressure and sodium salt intake. It can be said that overall that it is best to limit both our blood pressures as well as minimize and reduce our intake of salt in our diets. Both “blood pressure” and salt intake and ingestion are overall considered to be bad, bad form and harmful to health and the health of ourselves, friends and family. Yet who would of thought , that when traveling to hot climates and countries, even to seek medical care – that patients ( especially the elderly) would suffer from hypo-tension ( that is low blood pressure), rather than our standard high blood pressures conditions. In such situations these patients would be advised by medical care givers to increase their salt intake – that is to actually take “salt pills” rather than dedicate their diets to reducing salt and sodium intake. Patients with low blood pressure may not only lack energy but may have postural hypo-tension along with fainting spells, lack of cognition, feelings of faintness and certainly low energy levels. Add in already compromised patients whether ill or suffering from illnesses where mental functioning is already compromised and lessened (such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease) and you have an incident or incidents ready and waiting to occur.
The answer to these issues are increased intakes of fluids such as water , soft drinks , tea or coffee along with an increased ingestion of salt – whether it be by food or standard salt tablets. For your health and the health of others it is just as simple as that.
Med-Travel Resource Online