Treatment for a person with a heat related disorder has two key elements:
- Cooling the person
- Replacing lost fluid and electrolytes
The photo below was taken on Wilderness First Aid Training in Oman. Temperatures in summer are very hot at 37/38 °C (99/100 °F) on average. Locations near the sea can feel very humid: when the wind blows from inland, this causes the humidity to drop and the temperature can raise to as high as 50 °C (122 °F). Treatment for a person over heating in this environment would be to:
- Remove the person from the heat source by placing them under the canopy
- Loosen or remove tight fitting clothing
- Give isotonic fluid replacement. If this is not available you could make yoru own solution based on a handful of sugar and a pinch of salt per litre of water
- Elevate legs if they are swelling
If the person does not appear to improve, active cooling should take place in the form of:
- Sponging or spraying with tepid water
- Fanning
