Sample records for sunstroke
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Using real-time syndromic surveillance to assess the health impact of the 2013 heatwave in England.
Elliot, Alex J; Bone, Angie; Morbey, Roger; Hughes, Helen E; Harcourt, Sally; Smith, Sue; Loveridge, Paul; Green, Helen K; Pebody, Richard; Andrews, Nick; Murray, Virginia; Catchpole, Mike; Bickler, Graham; McCloskey, Brian; Smith, Gillian
2014-11-01
Heatwaves are a seasonal threat to public health. During July 2013 England experienced a heatwave; we used a suite of syndromic surveillance systems to monitor the impact of the heatwave. Significant increases in heatstroke and sunstroke were observed during 7-10 July 2013. Syndromic surveillance provided an innovative and effective service, supporting heatwave planning and providing early warning of the impact of extreme heat thereby improving the public health response to heatwaves. Crown Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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The neuropsychiatric ailment of Vincent Van Gogh
Bhattacharyya, Kalyan B.; Rai, Saurabh
2015-01-01
Vincent Van Gogh is one of the most celebrated creative artists of all time. All his life, he was afflicted by some kind of neurological or psychiatric disorder, which remains a mystery even today. Many historians and his personal physicians believe that he suffered from epilepsy while others felt that he was affected by Ménière's disease. Features such as hypergraphia, atypical sexuality, and viscosity of thinking suggest the possibility of Gastaut-Geschwind phenomenon, a known complication of complex partial seizure. On the contrary, some historians feel that he was forced to sever his right ear in order to get relief from troublesome tinnitus, a complication of Ménière's disease. He was addicted to the liquor absinthe, which is known to lead to xanthopsia, and many authorities argue that this was the reason for his penchant for the deep and bright yellow color in many of his paintings. Others have suggested the possibility of bipolar disorder, sunstroke, acute intermittent porphyria, and digitalis toxicity as well. PMID:25745302
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Cross-cultural medicine and diverse health beliefs. Ethiopians abroad.
Hodes, R
1997-01-01
A large number of Ethiopians reside abroad as refugees, immigrants, or students. To provide adequate care, physicians must understand their beliefs about health and medicine. To Ethiopians, health is an equilibrium between the body and the outside. Excess sun is believed to cause mitch ("sunstroke"), leading to skin disease. Blowing winds are thought to cause pain wherever they hit. Sexually transmitted disease is attributed to urinating under a full moon. People with buda, "evil eye," are said to be able to harm others by looking at them. Ethiopians often complain of rasehn, "my head" (often saying it burns); yazorehnyal, "spinning" (not a true vertigo); and libehn, "my heart" (usually indicating dyspepsia rather than a cardiac problem). Most Ethiopians have faith in traditional healers and procedures. In children, uvulectomy (to prevent presumed suffocation during pharyngitis in babies), the extraction of lower incisors (to prevent diarrhea), and the incision of eyelids (to prevent or cure conjunctivitis) are common. Circumcision is performed on almost all men and 90% of women. Ethiopians do bloodletting for moygnbagegn, a neurologic disease that includes fever and syncope. Chest pain is treated by cupping. Ethiopians often prefer injections to tablets. Bad news is usually given to families of patients and not the patients themselves. Zar is a form of spirit possession treated by a traditional healer negotiating with the alien spirit and giving gifts to the possessed patient. Health education must address Ethiopian concerns and customs.
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Cross-cultural medicine and diverse health beliefs. Ethiopians abroad.
Hodes, R
1997-01-01
A large number of Ethiopians reside abroad as refugees, immigrants, or students. To provide adequate care, physicians must understand their beliefs about health and medicine. To Ethiopians, health is an equilibrium between the body and the outside. Excess sun is believed to cause mitch ("sunstroke"), leading to skin disease. Blowing winds are thought to cause pain wherever they hit. Sexually transmitted disease is attributed to urinating under a full moon. People with buda, "evil eye," are said to be able to harm others by looking at them. Ethiopians often complain of rasehn, "my head" (often saying it burns); yazorehnyal, "spinning" (not a true vertigo); and libehn, "my heart" (usually indicating dyspepsia rather than a cardiac problem). Most Ethiopians have faith in traditional healers and procedures. In children, uvulectomy (to prevent presumed suffocation during pharyngitis in babies), the extraction of lower incisors (to prevent diarrhea), and the incision of eyelids (to prevent or cure conjunctivitis) are common. Circumcision is performed on almost all men and 90% of women. Ethiopians do bloodletting for moygnbagegn, a neurologic disease that includes fever and syncope. Chest pain is treated by cupping. Ethiopians often prefer injections to tablets. Bad news is usually given to families of patients and not the patients themselves. Zar is a form of spirit possession treated by a traditional healer negotiating with the alien spirit and giving gifts to the possessed patient. Health education must address Ethiopian concerns and customs. Images Figure 1. PMID:9074336
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Li, Jing; Xu, Xin; Ding, Guoyong; Zhao, Yun; Zhao, Ruixia; Xue, Fuzhong; Li, Jing; Gao, Jinghong; Yang, Jun; Jiang, Baofa; Liu, Qiyong
2016-01-01
Knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) are three key components for reducing the adverse health impacts of heat waves. However, research in eastern China regarding this is scarce. The present study aimed to evaluate the heat wave-related KAP of a population in Licheng in northeast China. This cross-sectional study included 2241 participants. Data regarding demographic characteristics, KAP, and heat illnesses were collected using a structured questionnaire. Univariate analysis and unconditional logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. Most residents had high KAP scores, with a mean score of 12.23 (standard deviation = 2.23) on a 17-point scale. Urban women and participants aged 35–44 years had relatively high total scores, and those with high education levels had the highest total score. There was an increased risk of heat-related illness among those with knowledge scores of 3–5 on an 8-point scale with mean score of 5.40 (standard deviation = 1.45). Having a positive attitude toward sunstroke prevention and engaging in more preventive practices to avoid heat exposure had a protective interaction effect on reducing the prevalence of heat-related illnesses. Although the KAP scores were relatively high, knowledge and practice were lacking to some extent. Therefore, governments should further develop risk-awareness strategies that increase awareness and knowledge regarding the adverse health impact of heat and help in planning response strategies to improve the ability of individuals to cope with heat waves. PMID:27367715
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Health impact of climate change on occupational health and productivity in Thailand
Langkulsen, Uma; Vichit-Vadakan, Nuntavarn; Taptagaporn, Sasitorn
2010-01-01
Background The rise in global temperature is well documented. Changes in temperature lead to increases in heat exposure, which may impact health ranging from mild heat rashes to deadly heat stroke. Heat exposure can also aggravate several chronic diseases including cardiovascular and respiratory disease. Objective This study examined the relationship between climate condition and health status and productivity in two main categories of the occupational setting – where one setting involves heat generated from the industry and the other with heat in a natural setting. Design This cross-sectional study included four industrial sites (pottery industry, power plant, knife industry, and construction site) and one agricultural site in the Pathumthani and Ayutthaya provinces. Exposure data were comprised of meteorological data and heat exposure including relative humidity (RH) measured by Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) monitor. Heat index was calculated to measure the effects of heat exposure on the study population, which consisted of 21 workers at five worksites; a questionnaire was also used to collect data on workers. Results Among the five workplaces, the outdoor WBGT was found to be highest at 34.6°C during 12:00 and 1:00 PM at the agricultural site. It was found that four out of five study sites had heat indices in the ‘extreme caution,’ where heat cramp and exhaustion may be possible and one site showed a value of 41°C that falls into the category of ‘danger,’ where sunstroke and heat exhaustion are likely and prolonged exposure may lead to heatstroke. Productivity as perceived by the workers revealed that only the construction and pottery industry workers had a loss of productivity ranged from 10 to 60 %. Conclusions Climate conditions in Thailand potentially affect both the health and productivity in occupational settings. PMID:21160553
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Health impact of climate change on occupational health and productivity in Thailand.
Langkulsen, Uma; Vichit-Vadakan, Nuntavarn; Taptagaporn, Sasitorn
2010-12-09
The rise in global temperature is well documented. Changes in temperature lead to increases in heat exposure, which may impact health ranging from mild heat rashes to deadly heat stroke. Heat exposure can also aggravate several chronic diseases including cardiovascular and respiratory disease. This study examined the relationship between climate condition and health status and productivity in two main categories of the occupational setting - where one setting involves heat generated from the industry and the other with heat in a natural setting. This cross-sectional study included four industrial sites (pottery industry, power plant, knife industry, and construction site) and one agricultural site in the Pathumthani and Ayutthaya provinces. Exposure data were comprised of meteorological data and heat exposure including relative humidity (RH) measured by Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) monitor. Heat index was calculated to measure the effects of heat exposure on the study population, which consisted of 21 workers at five worksites; a questionnaire was also used to collect data on workers. Among the five workplaces, the outdoor WBGT was found to be highest at 34.6°C during 12:00 and 1:00 PM at the agricultural site. It was found that four out of five study sites had heat indices in the 'extreme caution,' where heat cramp and exhaustion may be possible and one site showed a value of 41°C that falls into the category of 'danger,' where sunstroke and heat exhaustion are likely and prolonged exposure may lead to heatstroke. Productivity as perceived by the workers revealed that only the construction and pottery industry workers had a loss of productivity ranged from 10 to 60 %. Climate conditions in Thailand potentially affect both the health and productivity in occupational settings.
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Forecasting extreme temperature health hazards in Europe
NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)
Di Napoli, Claudia; Pappenberger, Florian; Cloke, Hannah L.
2017-04-01
Extreme hot temperatures, such as those experienced during a heat wave, represent a dangerous meteorological hazard to human health. Heat disorders such as sunstroke are harmful to people of all ages and responsible for excess mortality in the affected areas. In 2003 more than 50,000 people died in western and southern Europe because of a severe and sustained episode of summer heat [1]. Furthermore, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change heat waves are expected to get more frequent in the future thus posing an increasing threat to human lives. Developing appropriate tools for extreme hot temperatures prediction is therefore mandatory to increase public preparedness and mitigate heat-induced impacts. A recent study has shown that forecasts of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) provide a valid overview of extreme temperature health hazards on a global scale [2]. UTCI is a parameter related to the temperature of the human body and its regulatory responses to the surrounding atmospheric environment. UTCI is calculated using an advanced thermo-physiological model that includes the human heat budget, physiology and clothing. To forecast UTCI the model uses meteorological inputs, such as 2m air temperature, 2m water vapour pressure and wind velocity at body height derived from 10m wind speed, from NWP models. Here we examine the potential of UTCI as an extreme hot temperature prediction tool for the European area. UTCI forecasts calculated using above-mentioned parameters from ECMWF models are presented. The skill in predicting UTCI for medium lead times is also analysed and discussed for implementation to international health-hazard warning systems. This research is supported by the ANYWHERE project (EnhANcing emergencY management and response to extreme WeatHER and climate Events) which is funded by the European Commission's HORIZON2020 programme. [1] Koppe C. et al., Heat waves: risks and responses. World Health Organization. Health and Global Environmental Change, Series No. 2, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2004. [2] Pappenberger F. et al., Global forecasting of thermal health hazards: the skill of probabilistic predictions of the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), International Journal of Biometeorology 59(3): 311-323, 2015.
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Dinda, Biswanath; Kyriakopoulos, Anthony M; Dinda, Subhajit; Zoumpourlis, Vassilis; Thomaidis, Nikolaos S; Velegraki, Aristea; Markopoulos, Charlambos; Dinda, Manikarna
2016-12-04
Cornus mas L. (cornelian cherry) fruits have been used for centuries as traditional cuisine and folk medicine in various countries of Europe and Asia. In folk medicines, the fruits and other parts of the plant have been used for prevention and treatment of a wide range of diseases such as diabetes, diarrhea, gastrointestinal disorders, fevers, rheumatic pain, skin and urinary tract infections, kidney and liver diseases, sunstroke, among others. This review provides a systematic and constructive overview of ethnomedicinal uses, chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of this plant as well as future research need for its commercial utilization as nutraceutical food supplement and medicine. This review is based on available literature on ethnomedicinal uses, phytochemical, pharmacological, toxicity and clinical studies on Cornus mas L. (cornelian cherry) fruits and other organs that was collected from electronic (SciFinder, PubMed, Science Direct and ACS among others) and library searches of books and journals. Versatile ethnomedicinal uses of the plant in different European and Asian countries have been reported. Phytochemical investigations on different parts of this plant have resulted in the identification of 101 compounds, among which anthocyanins, flavonoids and iridoids are the predominant groups. The crude extracts of fruits and other parts of the plant and their pure isolates exhibit a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities such as anti-microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, cyto-, hepato-, neuro- and renalprotective, antiplatelet and antiglaucomic activities. Anthocyanins, flavonoids, iridoids and vitamin C are the major bioactive constituents of the fruits. Fruits are non-toxic and safe food on acute toxicity studies in rat and human models. Clinical trials in diabetic type2 and hyperlipidemic patients showed significant trends of amelioration in sugar level, insulin secretion in diabetic patients and amelioration of lipid profile, apolipoprotein status and vascular inflammation in hyperlipidemic patients. Based on our review, Cornus mas L. (cornelian cherry) fruits and leaves can be used mainly in the treatment of diabetes, obesity, atherosclerosis, skin diseases, gastrointestinal and rheumatic problems. Some indications from ethnomedicines have been validated by pharmacological activities of the fruits and its extracts/pure isolates. The reported data reveal that the fruits are a potential source for treatment of diabetes, obesity, hyperlipidemia and gastrointestinal disorders. Unfortunately, the pharmacological studies in these areas are still insufficient to substantiate these preventive effects in confirmatory trials on the mass-scale clinical settings. Future studies on mechanisms of action, bioavailability, pharmacokinetics and adverse effects of the extracts and their bioactive constituents as well as their effective doses and long term toxic effects in humans are needed for commercial applications of these extracts/isolates in modern medicines. The available literature showed that most of the activities of the extracts are due to their constituents, anthocyanins, flavonoids and other phenolics, iridoids and vitamins for their antioxidant and other properties. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Atmospheric radiation measurement program facilities newsletter, August 2001.
DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)
Holdridge, D. J.,ed.
2001-09-04
Summer 2001 Heat Wave--This summer has proved to be downright hot in the Southern Great Plains states. The temperatures soared to record-setting levels. The state of Oklahoma saw its fourth hottest July since 1895, while Kansas experienced its seventh warmest. The average temperature throughout most of Oklahoma for the month of July was 2.5-5.5 F above normal. The highest temperature recorded in the region during July was 107 F in Oklahoma City. Wichita, Kansas, had 17 July days with recorded temperatures of 100 F or above, while Medicine Lodge, Kansas, had 21. In addition, Oklahoma suffered its ninth driest July,more » with precipitation levels much below normal. Kansas fared better, receiving above-normal precipitation amounts. Nevertheless, regional July rainfall averaged 1.5-3.0 inches below normal. Not only is a summer heat wave uncomfortable, but it can also be dangerous. The National Weather Service (NWS) has increased efforts to alert the public to the hazards of heat waves. Prolonged excessive heat and humidity stress the human body and can, in some cases, cause death. The NWS has devised a heat index that is a measure of the heat we perceive as a function of air temperature and humidity. A heat index chart displays different zones from caution to extreme danger, much like a wind chill index chart used in the winter. The values represent conditions of light winds and shade. Thus, in full sunshine heat index values can increase by 15 F. Exposure to winds in hot, dry weather can be equally dangerous. The NWS sends out alerts when the heat index is expected to reach values with significant potential impact. The danger of heat-related illness increases with the number of consecutive days with high heat and humidity levels. Heat and humidity take their toll faster on the elderly, small children, and those with respiratory health problems. Heat-related illnesses come in several forms with different symptoms. From common sunburns to heat stroke, these heat disorders need to be addressed promptly. Sunburn is something most of us have experienced. Severe burns can be dangerous and should be treated by a physician. Heat cramps (painful muscle cramps, usually of the leg muscles) are typically accompanied by heavy sweating. Heat exhaustion symptoms include sweating; weakness; cold, pale, clammy skin; fainting; and vomiting. Heat stroke (also called sunstroke), the most serious heat disorder, can cause the body temperature to rise to 106 F or higher. The skin becomes hot and dry, and the pulse is rapid. Heat stroke is a severe medical emergency and can be fatal. Everyone can take common-sense precautions to ease the danger of a heat wave. Reduce strenuous exercise and outdoor activities. Reschedule these activities for a cooler time of day or move them to an air-conditioned indoor location. Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing to help maintain a normal body temperature and reflect sunlight and heat. Drink plenty of non-alcoholic fluids, especially water, to help maintain good hydration, and eat light meals. Stay out of the sun if possible and spend time in air-conditioned places to reduce the stress of summer heat.« less