The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) yesterday said that 190 people sought treatment for heat injuries at hospital emergency rooms (ERs) in the first 10 days of this month, and that not all of the injuries occurred outdoors.
Outdoor temperatures have on most days recently reached 35°C, and sometimes topped 37°C, resulting in a rise in heat injuries, it said, citing Central Weather Bureau statistics.
The types of injury are heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, it said.
Photo: Huang Chih-yuan, Taipei Times
From July 1 to Friday, there were 190 ER visits for heat injuries, up from 116 visits a year earlier, or about 1.6 times higher, the HPA said, adding that not all of the cases occurred under a scorching sun.
The main cause of indoor heat injuries is poor ventilation, which causes the indoor temperature to rise rapidly, HPA Community Health Division head Lo Su-ying (羅素英) said, adding that heat injuries develop if people’s bodies are not regulating their temperature properly.
“Elderly people and children are usually less capable of regulating their body temperature, so they are more susceptible to oversweating and dehydration if room temperatures continue to rise, and they might have a heat injury,” she said.
In hot weather, people should drink water more frequently, not just when they feel thirsty, and avoid drinking alcohol or sugary beverages, the HPA said, adding that air-conditioners should be set at about 26°C or 27°C, or rooms should have good ventilation.
Wearing a thin jacket in air-conditioned buildings can prevent discomfort from sudden changes between indoor and outdoor temperatures, while wearing lightweight and loose-fitting clothing permits greater air circulation and evaporation of sweat, allowing the body to cool faster, it said.
Heat injury symptoms include rising body temperature, flushed skin, a rapid heartbeat, headache, dizziness, vomiting, weakness, cramps and confusion, Lo said.
Excessive heat can even cause a seizure or coma, Lo added.
People with symptoms should move to a cool place and try to lower their body temperature by removing excess clothing, drenching the skin with cool water or fanning the skin.
They should drink cool water with salt or an electrolyte drink, and be taken for medical treatment as soon as possible.
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