If your children are playing sports this summer or start practices in the fall, it's important to know heat illness can sideline young athletes.
Doctors say heat illness is usually the result of overexertion in hot, humid weather and can cause fatigue, muscle cramping, or heat stroke – which can be deadly. They recommend drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated. In fact, they advise athletes to drink water the night before, to ensure they're well hydrated when they hit the field. Once play is underway, in addition to water, he suggests saltier drinks and snacks to replace lost electrolytes and prevent cramping. It's also a good idea for kids to take frequent breaks. If an athlete appears to be suffering from heat exhaustion, which may include headache, irritability, vomiting, dizziness, or fainting, it's important to lower their body temperature as soon as possible.
"You put ice over their large arteries and blood vessels," advised Dr. Richard So, Cleveland Clinic. "You put ice in their groins, ice in the armpits, and hose them down. Number one thing is cool them down, get them in the shade, and then get them as hydrated as quick as you can. Obviously, oral hydration would be the best."
Dr. So says an athlete who is vomiting in the heat should be observed, cooled down, rehydrated, and not return to activity that day. If they have slurred speech, are confused, agitated, or have hallucinations, they should get medical help right away.
