Thermal Stress & Hydration Safety

Thermal Stress & Hydration

It is estimated that nearly 400 people die from some type of Heat Related Illness, and thousands are admitted to the hospital each year. In a report produced by the Chicago Medical Center, they studied 58 patients out of 3000 that were admitted for some type of heat related illness. These patients were asked to come back for observation a year later, and what they found was staggering:

  • Twelve participants died during the same year the research was conducted and most of them died within the first three months.
  • The remaining survivors had some amount of a brain or nervous system disorder.
  • Approximately half of the 58 were suffering from kidney related problems and blood clots.
  • Nearly 10 percent of the 58 experienced some kind of malfunction of the lungs because of inflammation.

It was noted that prior to the study all the participants had no other physical illness.  So, the researchers concluded that all participants were suffering from conditions that were a direct result of their heat stroke.

One of the most significant revelations was that age was not at all a factor for the subjects who died.  This was in spite of knowing that the elderly were generally at a higher risk of getting heat stroke. People who participated in the study ranged from 25 to 95 years in age.

These numbers help paint the picture on just how dangerous the short term and long term effects can be for overexposure to heat.  So, the next time you’re thinking about pushing yourself another 5- 10 minutes, think twice about the immediate and long term consequences.