Collapse of the circulation from exposure to excessive heat. Possible in the presence of diarrhoea, vomiting or excessive sweating (dehydration) or alcohol consumption.
Symptoms: heavy sweating, failure of surface circulation, low blood pressure, weakness, cramps, rapid heartbeat, face is pale, cool and moist. Collapse. Recovery after treatment is rapid.
Alternatives. Cayenne pepper, or Tincture Capsicum, to promote peripheral circulation and sustain the heart. Prickly Ash bark restores vascular tone and stimulates capillary circulation. Bayberry offers a diffusive stimulant to promote blood flow, and Cayenne to increase arterial force.
Decoction. Combine equal parts Prickly Ash and Bayberry. 1 teaspoon to each cup water gently simmered 20 minutes. Half a cup (to which 3 drops Tincture Capsicum, or few grains red pepper is added). Dose: every 2 hours.
Tablets/capsules. Prickly Ash. Bayberry. Motherwort. Cayenne.
Tinctures. Formula. Prickly Ash 2; Horseradish 1; Bayberry 1. 15-30 drops in water every 2 hours. Traditional. Horseradish juice or grated root, in honey.
Life Drops.
Fatigue, culminating in collapse, caused by overexposure to heat. There are 3 main causes of heat exhaustion: insufficient water intake, insufficient salt intake, and a deficiency in sweat production. In addition to fatigue, symptoms may include faintness, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, headache, and, when salt loss is heavy, heat cramps. The skin is usually pale and clammy, breathing is fast and shallow, and the pulse is rapid and weak. Unless it is treated, heat exhaustion may develop into heatstroke.
Treatment of heat exhaustion involves rest and the replenishment of lost water and salt.
Prevention is usually by gradual acclimatization to hot conditions.
fatigue and collapse due to the low blood pressure and blood volume that result from loss of body fluids and salts after prolonged or unaccustomed exposure to heat. It is most common in new arrivals in a hot climate and is treated by giving drinks or intravenous injections of salted water.
Painful cramps in the muscles occurring in workers, such as stokers, who labour in hot conditions. The cramps are the result of loss of salt in the sweat, and can be cured by giving the sufferer salty water to drink. (See also HEAT STROKE.)... heat cramps
A condition resulting from environmental temperatures which are too high for compensation by the body’s thermo-regulatory mechanism(s). It is characterised by hyperpyrexia, nausea, headache, thirst, confusion, and dry skin. If untreated, COMA and death ensue. The occurrence of heat stroke is sporadic: whereas a single individual may be affected (occasionally with fatal consequences), his or her colleagues may remain unaffected. Predisposing factors include unsatisfactory living or working conditions, inadequate acclimatisation to tropical conditions, unsuitable clothing, underlying poor health, and possibly dietetic or alcoholic indiscretions. The condition can be a major problem during pilgrimages – for example, the Muslim Hadj. Four clinical syndromes are recognised:
Heat collapse is characterised by fatigue, giddiness, and temporary loss of consciousness. It is accompanied by HYPOTENSION and BRADYCARDIA; there may also be vomiting and muscular cramps. Urinary volume is diminished. Recovery is usual.
Heat exhaustion is characterised by increasing weakness, dizziness and insomnia. In the majority of sufferers, sweating is defective; there are few, if any, signs of dehydration. Pulse rate is normal, and urinary output good. Body temperature is usually 37·8–38·3 °C.
Heat cramps (usually in the legs, arms or back, and occasionally involving the abdominal muscles) are associated with hard physical work at a high temperature. Sweating, pallor, headache, giddiness and intense anxiety are present. Body temperature is only mildly raised.
Heat hyperpyrexia is heralded by energy loss and irritability; this is followed by mental confusion and diminution of sweating. The individual rapidly becomes restless, then comatose; body temperature rises to 41–42 °C or even higher. The condition is fatal unless expertly treated as a matter of urgency.
Treatment With the ?rst two syndromes, the affected individual must be removed immediately to a cool place, and isotonic saline administered – intravenously in a severe case. The fourth syndrome is a medical emergency. The patient should be placed in the shade, stripped, and drenched with water; fanning should be instigated. He or she should be wrapped in a sheet soaked in cool water and fanning continued. When rectal temperature has fallen to 39 °C, the patient is wrapped in a dry blanket. Immediately after consciousness returns, normal saline should be given orally; this usually provokes sweating. The risk of circulatory collapse exists. Convalescence may be protracted and the patient should be repatriated to a cool climate. Prophylactically, personnel intended for work in a tropical climate must be very carefully selected. Adequate acclimatisation is also essential; severe physical exertion must be avoided for several weeks, and light clothes should be worn. The diet should be light but nourishing, and ?uid intake adequate. Those performing hard physical work at a very high ambient temperature should receive sodium chloride supplements. Attention to ventilation and air-conditioning is essential; fans are also of value.... heat stroke
Extreme fatigue. May follow stress conditions or limited powers of endurance, surgical operations, exposure or prolonged illnesses. Physical Exhaustion, (Ginseng). Nervous Exhaustion, (Hops). Mental Exhaustion, (Capsicum, Peppermint, Life Drops). Heart Exhaustion, (Hawthorn). Jet fatigue (Passion flower).
Alternatives. Teas. Gotu Kola, Ginseng, Sage, Oat husks, Wood Betony, Hyssop, Agrimony, Wormwood, Angustura, Hops, Chamomile, Hibiscus flower, Hawthorn blossoms.
Gentian. 1 teaspoon to each cup cold water; allow to steep overnight. Half-1 cup before meals.
Tablets or capsules. Iceland Moss, Alfalfa, Gentian, Siberian Ginseng, Damiana, Pollen.
Life Drops. See entry.
Tinctures. Equal parts: Siberian Ginseng and Hawthorn – one 5ml teaspoon in water thrice daily. Aromatherapy. Oil Rosemary massage. 6 drops in 2 teaspoons Almond oil or other vegetable oil.
Diet. Oats (porridge, etc). Emphasis on protein. Bee pollen. Honey.
Nutrients. Vitamins A, Vitamin B12, B-complex, Folic acid, C, D. Chromium, Molasses (iron), Manganese, Zinc. Kelp for minerals. Biostrath.
Note: ME (Myalgic encephalomyelitis) is the end result of nervous exhaustion. Specific treatment on the heart, with adequate sleep and rest have proved of benefit. ... exhaustion
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