When To Visit Urgent Care For Dehydration Caused By Heat Exhaustion
Spending time in the sun can be enjoyable, but it can also lead to heat exhaustion in some situations. If you develop heat exhaustion and become severely dehydrated, you may want to visit an urgent care clinic, like Alaska Urgent Care LLC, for treatment. Here are several things to understand about this health condition.
What is heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion is something that can easily occur from spending too much time outside when it is really hot. You will have a higher risk for developing this problem if the heat index is 91 degrees F or higher. There are other factors that can also increase your risks of getting heat exhaustion, and these include if you are taking certain medications, if you are obese, and if you are not used to being outside in the heat.
When you get heat exhaustion, it simply means that your body has reached a state where it cannot cool itself down. Normally, a body will cool itself off through sweating; however, if you are also dehydrated, your body may not have enough water in it to sweat.
How can this lead to dehydration?
Dehydration is actually another factor that can cause heat exhaustion, but heat exhaustion can also lead to a worse case of dehydration. You might be able to avoid getting heat exhaustion if you drink plenty of fluids while you are outside in the heat. You should avoid drinking alcoholic beverages, though, as these can actually worsen heat exhaustion and make you more dehydrated.
When should you seek help for this?
It can be hard to know if you should seek medical help for heat exhaustion, simply because there can be ways to cure it yourself. There are times, though, when you should seek help for it, and here are some of the symptoms that will help you know if you should seek help:
- A fever that is 103 degrees F and that will not go away
- Feeling very confused and lethargic
- Fainting spells or seizures
- Trouble breathing or irregular heart beats
If you have these symptoms, it might be wise to have a friend or relative take you to an urgent care facility. The most likely way they will treat you is with an IV that contains fluids. These fluids will replenish the ones your body has lost, and you should start feeling better shortly after you are hooked up to the IV. If you need help for heat exhaustion, visit an urgent care center quickly.
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