The tragic death of my friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Mosley, has highlighted how careful we all need to be about the risk of heat stroke and, especially, the dangers we can face when we are away from our usual surroundings. .
Heat stroke occurs when the body is unable to control what nature has determined to be the best body temperature for our vital systems to function normally. It is potentially lethal for people of all ages and physical conditions.
During heatwaves in the UK, it is not uncommon to hear of deaths of elderly or sick people confined to their homes who are unable to cool down properly. But we also frequently hear of young army recruits succumbing to heat stroke during training exercises.
It can attack at high speed and be fatal in a desperately short time, it pains me to say.
Dr. Michael Mosley, 67, was found dead Sunday morning after going missing while hiking in Greece on Wednesday.
Dr Mosley succumbed to the heat on the island of Symi, despite taking precautions such as carrying a bottle of water and an umbrella to protect himself from the shade.
Heat stroke occurs when the body temperature rises above the normal range of 36°C to 37.5°C. It is due to a failure of the body’s cooling mechanisms and is not the same as fever, which is caused due to inflammation due to an infection, for example.
In an infection, inflammatory molecules send messages to the hypothalamus, the area of the brain that controls temperature (heat is the body’s way of eliminating the pathogen causing the infection).
When the body temperature exceeds 40.5 °C and there is no febrile illness, it is called hyperthermia or heat stroke.
Our body heat is the result of internal metabolic processes (including digestion, muscle action and even brain function, which in turn uses a lot of energy) and the effect of the heat around us.
Our cooling method is sweating, where water evaporates over the skin to lower the temperature.
However, this safety system is not effective in high humidity, as sweat does not evaporate as effectively.
As body temperature rises higher and higher, the central nervous system malfunctions.
As a result, fluid can build up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe and get enough oxygen. The lack of oxygen, but also the heat itself, can affect the heart muscle and the heart’s electricity can fail, causing an abnormal heart rhythm.
Seizures are common and are caused by inflammation of the brain, along with a number of potential effects on the entire nervous system (such as poor nerve function, affecting balance and muscle coordination, weakness and numbness in the feet and legs).
Overheating also causes kidney damage, liver damage, and widespread blood clotting throughout the body.
Essentially, heat stroke causes total systemic collapse, and survivors may suffer long-term deterioration.
Typically, in young, healthy people, the cause is exercise, often reckless, in conditions of high temperature and humidity.
But in general, classic heat stroke affects those who have an underlying medical condition that affects their ability to cool down or prevents them from escaping the hot environment.
Risk factors include cardiovascular diseases, neurological disorders, advanced age or even reckless alcohol consumption.
The most affected are those over 70 years of age, although we have all heard of small children who were left in the car when it was hot and who also died of heatstroke.
Dr. Michael Mosley was aware that it was going to be very hot: he took the precaution of carrying an umbrella to protect himself from the radiant heat of the sun and also carried a bottle of water. But perhaps the effort it took to walk back to where he was staying was underestimated.
The death of the beloved TV doctor, depicted in recently released CCTV footage from his last trip, shocked the country and highlighted the need to know what to do if he suffers heatstroke.
At first, those affected will feel weak and shaky and, at some point, progressively exhausted and confused; The time between the awareness that all was not well and confusion and disorientation can be very short, possibly only a few minutes, with no time to understand. the situation he finds himself in before things become desperately serious.
In such a state, you could collapse or fall, causing a head injury or other consequences.
In hot and humid conditions, none of us – regardless of our age or health – can afford to take the best possible precautions to avoid it.
I am desperately sad that this message follows the loss of our much loved Dr. Michael Mosley.