Heat Strokes in Clearwater
Florida summers are notoriously warm and humid. Many people enjoy our state’s subtropical climate, but as in all warm places, the heat and humidity can periodically be dangerous. During the hottest days of the summer, heat stroke is a real and serious risk to anyone active outside.
Whether playing sports or simply lounging, humid air can reduce the body’s ability to cool itself off. Combined with the already-warm air, the body can easily overheat.
Heat stroke is easily preventable by minimizing long periods of work during the heat of the day, drinking lots of water, and taking frequent breaks.
If you or someone you love have fallen seriously ill or been permanently injured because you were not allowed to cool off, you may be entitled to damages. To discuss your case with a lawyer, contact the Clearwater catastrophic injury lawyers of Tragos, Sartes & Tragos, PLLC today at (727) 441-9030
Signs of Heat Stroke
Heat stroke is different from a fever, which is the result of the body’s natural heat production increasing. Typically heat stroke involves the body’s temperature exceeding 107F (40C), which is highly dangerous. Heat stroke, unlike a fever, is caused by a combination of environmental heat (the temperature outside) and the body’s difficulty regulating its temperature.
Overheating
Humidity refers to the amount of water dissolved in the air, much like salt dissolved in water. A humid day means the air is saturated with water vapor, similar to how sea water has a large amount of dissolved salt.
If you try to dissolve more salt in a glass of water that is already holding as much salt as it can, the salt will fall to the bottom. In the same way, sweat does not evaporate much when the air is very humid. Since the body depends on sweat to cool down, this can lead to overheating.