VOA健康报道2023--Know the Signs of Heat Stroke

The American Southwest is experiencing extremely high temperatures and that has health officials concerned.

Along the U.S.-Mexico border, federal agents reported 10 deaths in early July. Another 45 people had to be rescued from the heat.

The city of Phoenix¹, Arizona may be on its way to breaking a record for most back-to-back days with a high temperature over 43 degrees Celsius². The current record was set in 1974. Even morning low temperatures in Phoenix are tying historic records.

Signs of heat-related sickness

Health officials are advising people to limit how much time they spend outdoors and to know the warning signs of heat sickness.

Common signs of heat exhaustion³ and heat stroke are heavy sweating and dizziness. Uncontrolled muscle movements and vomiting⁵ are also common.

Heat stroke is a serious condition that happens when the body loses its ability to control temperature. This includes losing the ability to sweat.

As a person's body temperature reaches 39 degrees Celsius, their skin gets hot and red. Their heart rate speeds up. Their head might hurt and they may feel sick to their stomach, feel confused or even lose consciousness.

Jon Femling is an emergency medicine doctor and scientist at the University of New Mexico. He told the Associated Press that the body tries to cool itself by pumping blood to the skin. Also, as a person breathes heavily, they lose fluids and become dehydrated. A lot of sweating also leads to the loss of important nutrients⁶, such as sodium⁷ and potassium.

Femling said that, at first, the muscles feel tired. Then organs like the kidneys, spleen and liver can start to become damaged and stop working. At the most severe level, the brain becomes affected⁸.

Experts say it is important for people to be able to recognize when others may be suffering from heat stroke. That is because people suffering from the condition might not realize they are in danger. Confusion could influence their thinking.

If heat stroke is suspected, call 911 for emergency services. Try to lower the person's body temperature with a cool, wet cloth or a cool bath.

Older people, children and those with health conditions face greater risk from high temperatures. High heat puts extra pressure on the cardiovascular system. The cardiovascular system includes the heart and blood vessels⁹.

During extreme heat, experts urge people to stay indoors and to seek air-conditioned buildings. They also suggest drinking more water than usual, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and eating lighter¹⁰ meals.

Learning limits

Researchers at Arizona State University (ASU) are trying to better understand the effects of extreme heat on the body. They use a special mannequin called ANDI that has about 30 sensors¹¹. It is designed to operate like a human and even to sweat.

Jenni Vanos is a professor at ASU's School of Sustainability. She said her team is trying to understand how people deal with extreme heat.

They use ANDI and a "warm room," where temperatures can reach 60 degrees Celsius, to study the effects of heat.

Vanos said measuring short- and long-wave radiation in the environment can tell researchers how much a surface will heat up during the day. She added that means finding shade is a very important part of reducing the effects of heat on the human body.

Summer storms could ease heat

Changes in weather often ease waves of extreme heat. In South Asia, the monsoon¹² winds bring rain. But in the American Southwest, the El Nino weather event this year might prevent expected summer thunderstorms.

Sam Meltzer is a National Weather Service meteorologist. He said the coming weather will depend on winds from the Gulf¹³ of California. He added that summer storms might be delayed this year.

Words in This Story

sweat –v. to release water from the skin to cool the body

dizziness –n. a feeling of losing balance and falling

vomit⁴ –v. to involuntarily expel what is in the stomach because of a sick feeling

confused –adj. to be unable to think clearly

consciousness –n. the state of being awake and knowing what is going on around you

mannequin –n. a device that looks like a human body that is often used in experiments to observe experiments' effects on a body

professor n. a teacher at a college or university who has certain privileges related to employment

meteorologist –n. a scientist who talks about the weather and atmospheric conditions

1 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

2 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

3 exhaustion   

n.耗尽枯竭，疲惫，筋疲力尽，竭尽，详尽无遗的论述

参考例句：

• She slept the sleep of exhaustion.她因疲劳而酣睡。
• His exhaustion was obvious when he fell asleep standing.他站着睡着了，显然是太累了。

4 vomit   

v.呕吐，作呕；n.呕吐物，吐出物

参考例句：

• They gave her salty water to make her vomit.他们给她喝盐水好让她吐出来。
• She was stricken by pain and began to vomit.她感到一阵疼痛，开始呕吐起来。

5 vomiting   

吐

参考例句：

• Symptoms include diarrhoea and vomiting. 症状有腹泻和呕吐。
• Especially when I feel seasick, I can't stand watching someone else vomiting." 尤其晕船的时候，看不得人家呕。”

6 nutrients   

n.（食品或化学品）营养物，营养品( nutrient的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lack of essential nutrients 基本营养的缺乏
• Nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. 营养素被吸收进血液。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 sodium   

n.（化）钠

参考例句：

• Out over the town the sodium lights were lit.在外面，全城的钠光灯都亮了。
• Common salt is a compound of sodium and chlorine.食盐是钠和氯的复合物。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

10 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

11 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

12 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

13 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。