Ways to Prevent Heat Stroke

2012年の夏について 「熱中症の重傷度分類・症状・措置」

2012/08/08 Wednesday Health, Highlights

What is Heat Stroke?

“Heat stroke” is the term for symptoms that emerge when the balance of water and electrolytes in the body is disrupted and the human body loses its ability to regulate itself due to excessive heat. Heat stroke can occur both indoors and outdoors during hot and humid days. In extreme cases, heat stroke can result in death, and knowledge about how to prevent and treat heat stroke victims could save a life.

Degrees of heat stroke, symptoms and measures to take

 

Level

Symptoms

Measures

1st Degree

(mild)

Dizziness, lightheadedness, muscle soreness, muscle spasms, excessive sweating Seeking shelter in the shade, consuming water and electrolytes

2nd Degree

(Moderate)

Headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, difficulty concentrating If unable to administer water or electrolytes orally, seek assistance at a hospital

3rd Degree

(Severe)

Loss of consciousness, convulsions, loss of balance, unresponsiveness, elevated body temperature Call an ambulance /seek professional medical attention immediately

 

Heat Stroke First Aid

 

bright_sun_iconRelocate to a cooler area

  •  Seek shelter in an area with good ventilation. If possible, find an area with air conditioning.

 

Remove clothing and lower body temperature.

  •  Loosen clothing and take measures to lower body temperature.
  •  Splash water on the victim and cool the body with handheld or electric fans.
  • If ice bags are available, cool the blood that flows directly beneath the skin by placing the ice bags on the neck, in the armpit, or between the thighs.

Administer water and electrolytes

  • Give the victim cold water. In the event of excessive sweating, electrolytes lost through perspiration will need to be replaced. This can be done by giving the victim a sports drink or a saline solution made by dissolving 1-2 grams of salt into 1 liter of water.
  • If the victim is conscious and responsive, water can be given orally.
  • If the victim is unresponsive, or is nauseous or vomiting, water should not be administered orally.
  • Seek medical attention
  • If water cannot be administered orally, getting the victim to a medical facility and seeking medical attention should be the highest priority.

 

Ways to Prevent Heat Stroke

 

Avoid overheating by:

  •  Walking in the shade
  • Sprinkling water on the concrete to cool the ground in the mornings.
  • Installing blinds for your windows.
  •  Using a parasol.
  •  Wearing a wide brimmed hat.
  • Using an electric fan or air conditioning unit (a moderate temperature below 28 degrees C is best)

 

Dress smart

  • Purchase clothing made of sweat absorbing and quick drying material, “cool” suits, etc.
  • Avoid black clothing, as it absorbs heat more readily in the sun.
  • Keep collars loose to allow for air flow.

 

Stay hydrated

  • On hot days, individuals continuously sweat in small amounts throughout the day, possibly resulting in dehydration that goes unnoticed. Therefore, you should consume water and electrolytes, regardless of how active you are during the day.
  • Warning: Consuming alcohol causes individuals to urinate more frequently, and has a dehydrating effect on the body. Therefore, you should not try to rehydrate with beer or other alcoholic beverages. An alcoholic beverage causes the body to lose more water than is provided by the beverage itself.

 

Beware of sudden rises in temperature

  • Individuals who have spent the majority of their day indoors or individuals who have not been in a hot environment for a long time are especially susceptible to heat stroke. It is best to slowly acclimate to heat and humidity.

 

Increase your resistance to heat

  • Light sweat inducing exercise, such as walking, helps acclimate the body to heat, decreasing the risk of heat stroke.

 

Remember that your degree of risk differs depending on your individual situation

  • Individuals experiencing fever or diarrhea, obese individuals, young children, the elderly and individuals suffering from lack of sleep are especially prone to heat stroke. It is important for these individuals to decrease the amount of exercise and/or work they do in hot environments.

(Source:Ministry of the Environment, Heat Stroke Prevention Manual)

Tips on Energy Saving: Video for Citizens in Mie Prefecture

2012/08/08 Wednesday Health, Highlights

この夏の省エネ・節電の取組について

The governor of Mie prefecture recently published a message to the citizens of his prefecture on energy saving.

The content of the message was that there are concerns that this summer will continue to see the power shortages experienced last year since the incident caused by the Great Tohoku Earthquake on March 11th 2011 at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant.

In response to this, between the 2nd of July and 7th of September 2012, Chubu Electric will be attempting a minimum 5% reduction and Kansai Electric a minimum 15% reduction in power consumption from 2010 levels.
power savingIn order to reduce problems during this period of energy conservation, citizens are being asked to help contribute by reducing their power consumption.

We will now introduce tips on how to save energy in your home.

1.  Air conditioning: air conditioning is more effective when air conditioning units are set to 28 degrees and combined with a stand-alone electric fan to circulate the air. Using bamboo and reed screens will cut the heat from sunlight coming from windows.

By cleaning the air conditioners filters, you will cut energy consumption and improve the air flow.

2. Refrigerator: You can prevent the cool air escaping when you open the door by using a refrigerator curtain, available to buy at home centers. You can also save energy by moving the refrigerator away from the wall and changing the settings from ‘high’ to ‘medium’.

3. Turn off unnecessary lights.

4. Unplug electrical appliances when not in use as even when they are in stand-by mode they are using electricity. This also applies for personal computers; however, certain models have a power saving ‘eco-mode’.

5. Instead of using your rice cooker several times a day, cook a whole day’s worth of rice and then store it in the freezer.

Out of the electronic devices in the home, the biggest users of electricity are:

  1. Iron
  2. Kettle
  3. Microwave
  4. Toaster
  5. IH Cooking Heater
  6. Vacuum cleaner

Try to avoid using these electrical appliances as much as possible.

By using these tips you can reduce your home’s electricity consumption. By everyone acknowledging the need for cooperation,Japanand its citizens can overcome this period of energy shortages. We appreciate your support.