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(JL r 9 week no.25 endingJune 16, 1
Texas Preventable Disease
NON-CIRCU\ ATU
DO Q O NEWS
contents:
HeJ -related Illness
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BUREAU OF EPIDEMIOLOGY 1100 West 49th Street, Aust n, Teak 7 796' (5148-
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HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS
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Heat-related illness is the effect of excessive heat on t ie body. These illnesses
are sometimes identified as "hyperthermia" or "hyperpyrexia." Both of these words
mean "exceptionally high fever." ("Hypertherm i a" should not be confused with
"hypothermia," which means lower than normal body temperature.) Heat-related illness
may show itself as one of, or a combination of, several conditions, such as heat
stroke, heat cramps, or heat exhaustion. Other health problems, particularly deaths
due to ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, also have been noted to
increase during very hot weather, but these are not referred to as heat-related
illnesses.
How Heat-related Illness Develops
Normal body temperature is controlled by heat-regulating centers in the brain that
balance heat production and heat loss. Heat is produced by the body as cells break
down the nutrients in food. Heat is removed from the body by evaporation of perspi-
ration, convection of air around the body, conduction through clothing, and radiation
into surrounding air. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when
the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temper-
ature of the body's inner core begins to rise and heat-related illness may develop.
Contributing Factors
The degree of heat-related illness depends on biological and environmental
Biological factors which predispose a person to heat-related illness include:
factors.
- Age. Infants (especially those already in poor health) and elderly
persons are at particularly high risk;
- Chronic illness. Persons who are chronically bedfast or unable to
care for themselves are at increased risk;
- Medicine or drug usage. The use of major tranquil izers (from the
phenothiazine, butyrophene, or thioxanthene groups), large doses of
anticholinergic drugs; or
- Mental illness or depression.
Texas Department of Health
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DEPOWur WI
DO NOT DISCARD
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