Heat Exhaustion How to Cope with Summers Sizzlers

How to Cope with Summer's Sizzlers

Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun.'' As that old line implies, running around in the heat is not exactly a wise thing to do.

But children love to play, and midday sun doesn't seem to faze them. That's why, if your child is on a team or loves playing outdoors in the summer, you need to be aware of a potentially hazardous condition: heat exhaustion.

Under normal conditions, the body keeps its cool by perspiring and by radiating heat through the skin. When it is really hot outside though, and your child is working or playing hard, this cooling system starts to break down. Your child may sweat so much that she gets dehydrated. She may complain of feeling weak, dizzy and nauseated. But when you take her temperature, you find that it's normal or only slightly above normal. These symptoms are all signals of heat exhaustion, which means your child definitely needs a good long break from the sizzling outdoors. And if the symptoms persist or become more serious, she may need a doctor's attention.

But with a bit of caution, you should never have to deal with this emergency. Here's how to avoid heat exhaustion or, if necessary, treat it until you can contact a doctor.

Dress infants for cooler comfort. ''Use common sense and dress your baby lightly when the weather is warm,'' says Steve Sterner, M.D., a senior associate physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. Babies may not be prone to overexertion, but if you bundle them up in warm clothing or wrap them in a heavy blanket on a hot day, heat exhaustion may result, Dr. Sterner cautions.

Keep them out of hot cars. If you leave an infant or child in a hot car--even for a brief period of time--it can lead to heat exhaustion. Worse yet, it can lead to heatstroke, which can be fatal. ''Kids get very warm, very fast in that situation,'' says Dr. Sterner. ''It is never a safe practice.''

Offer more liquids. Make sure that kids are getting plenty to drink, even if they say they aren't thirsty, says David Keller, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics in the Division of General and Community Pediatrics, University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester. On a hot day when he's exercising, a seven-or eight-year-old child should have a six-ounce glass of water or juice every hour. Older children require even more. Always try to keep a water bottle full so the child can sip when he's thirsty.

Sneak them out of the heat. When the outside temperature is high, encourage kids to play in the shade, a cool room or a pool, says Ann DiMaio, M.D., director of the pediatric emergency room at the New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center and assistant professor of pediatrics at Cornell University Medical College, both in New York City. And if they have to play on a sunny field, make sure they take frequent breaks from strenuous activity, she advises.

Douse them. ''Turn a garden hose on your kids or give them a sprinkler to play in,'' says Dr. DiMaio. ''Spraying kids with water will help keep their temperature down.''

Chill out. If your child says she feels dizzy or sick to her stomach, she's showing signs of heat exhaustion. Take her into a cool room and give her plenty of fluids, says Dr. Sterner. It also helps to give a cool-water bath. If you don't have an air-conditioned room, turn on a fan. And meanwhile, call the doctor for further advice.

Skip the alcohol bath. You may remember getting a cooling alcohol bath as a child, but physicians do not recommend this practice today, notes Dr. Sterner. ''Alcohol may aid slightly in cooling the body, but it is also absorbed by the skin. If you cover a lot of skin with alcohol by immersing your child in it, the alcohol absorption may have toxic effects,'' he says.