Watch for warning signs of heatstroke, warns EMS

CALGARY – As Calgary navigates hazardously hot temperatures, emergency medics are hoping to help people avoid falling ill to heatstroke with some handy tips.

Calgarians are at an increased risk of suffering from heat exhaustion or heatstroke this week with a weather warning predicting temperatures in the mid-30s.

READ MORE: Calgary could shatter heat records this week, weather warning in effect

If you know you’re going to be outside, Helene Hamilton with EMS says to make sure you’re being proactive in preventing heat illnesses.

“Make sure you start drinking lots of water the day before you plan on being outside and continue drinking water throughout the day you are outside,” she explained.

“Hydration is absolutely key in preventing heat exhaustion and subsequently heatstroke.”

She also recommends dressing appropriately for the weather.

“Wearing a hat, making sure you have light-coloured, loose-fitting clothing that’s going to allow your skin to breathe and sweat appropriately,” she said.

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She says heat can compound as the day goes on, so make sure you’re taking breaks and going into somewhere that has air conditioning or finding a shady spot to rest.

If you start feeling run down, lethargic, have a headache, or are nauseous, Hamilton says you need to get out of the heat and start rehydrating.

“If it continues past that, you might notice that you’re not sweating anymore, you’re really hot. People you’re with might notice that you’re starting to get confused, you might start vomiting–those are all signs that we’ve moved past heat exhaustion and into heatstroke,” Hamilton shared.

“That would be a time to call 911.”

Dr. Raj Bhardwaj, a family and urgent care physician, says heatstroke isn’t even directly related to how hot it is, but how much sun exposure there is.

“Avoid direct sun exposure if you can, but if you can’t, then wear sunscreen, wearing light-coloured clothing that protects you, wearing a hat and sunglasses. It’s important not to just drink water, you want to drink water and some electrolytes, you want to eat some food and stay away from really sugary drinks and alcoholic drinks.”

A cold bath or shower will help cool your body down if you’re suffering from some heat exhaustion. But if you’ve reached heatstroke, an ice bath won’t do much to help.

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Kids and seniors are more at risk for suffering from heat illnesses, so caregivers and family members need to keep an eye on them during this heatwave.

“Children don’t sweat the same way adults do so their ability to regulate their body temperature is very different. And once they get outside and start playing, they’ll forget to drink,” she added, explaining parents should monitor their kids while they play outside, and try to keep kids inside during the peak of the day when it’s hottest.

“Our elderly, also, their ability to sweat is reduced and their thirst drive decreases as well. So they don’t have the desire to drink even if they are dehydrated.”

She says enjoy the summer, especially since it’s rare that Calgary gets as hot as it will this week, but Hamilton urges you to enjoy the sun safely.

Robert Lee, who was out for a walk in the heat, is sharing his story of how severe heatstroke can get.

Lee came across a homeless couple in need of help. He called 911 and stayed with the couple until paramedics arrived, doing all he could to help. Posting his experience on social media, Lee says, this event and the ignorance of people around him, have left a great impact.

“At one point before this man lost consciousness, he was repeating over and over again ‘I don’t want to die’. That’s never going to get out (of my head). That’s going to be with me for the rest of my life and it just shocks me that somebody can be going through something like that while people just walk by and ignore it.”

-with files from Kayla Bruch and Henna Saeed