During the hot, summer months, anyone exercising outside is at an increased risk for heat-related sports injuries. Here are some common conditions that are both treatable and preventable.
Heat cramps: Heat cramps are brief but painful muscle cramps that can begin during a workout or several hours later. They most commonly occur in the calves, thighs, and shoulders, particularly when you are unaccustomed to performing the activity that has caused the injury. They can also result from drinking water or other fluids that don’t include salt to replace the salt that has been perspired during activity.
Treating this form of sports injury is fairly simple. Allow yourself to rest in a cool location and replenish the salt in your body with a saltwater mixture or sports drink that contains electrolytes and a sufficient level of salt.
Heat exhaustion: This heat-related injury most commonly results from days of exposure to the heat without receiving a sufficient amount of fluid and salt to replace what was lost.
Some of the warning signs include:
· Heavy sweating
· Muscle cramping
· Paleness
· Feelings of weakness and dizziness
· Headache
· Nausea or vomiting
· Fainting spells
Treatment for this potentially serious heat-related illness is relatively easy and mostly focuses on cooling the body. Replenish your body with cool, non-alcoholic beverages, take cool showers or baths, and rest in a cool, air-conditioned location.
Heat stroke: This heat-related injury is the result of heat exhaustion that has been left untreated and can result in death.
Some of the symptoms of heat stroke include:
· High temperature
· Rapid heartbeat
· Flushed skin without sweat
· Trouble breathing
· Unusual behavior, including hallucinations, confusion or agitation
· Seizure
· Coma
There are steps you can take to prevent these warm weather sports injuries:
- Exercise during the morning or evening hours, when the temperature is lower.
- Start slow, giving yourself time to adjust to the hot temperatures.
- Drink sports drinks in order to replenish your sodium as you perspire.
- Wear lightweight, light-colored clothing.
- Have an alternative plan to exercise inside, out of the heat.
Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that some people suffer while exercising in South Florida. If you or someone you are with is experiencing heat stroke, the best advice is to immediately go to an emergency room for medical attention. If you are in need of more information on heat-related sports injuries, please call Consult-A-Nurse® at 1-866-442-2362.
Sources:
Sports Injury Clinic.net
WebMD
Be Prepared California.gov
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In communities across South Florida and the Treasure Coast, more than 12,000 of your neighbors, friends and colleagues are committed to building a Healthy Community – a community with dedicated neighborhood groups, active little leagues, charities helping those in need, firstclass institutions that contribute to the overall well-being of the community, and businesses committed to making the communities they serve a better place.
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HCA’s roots date back to the 1960s when Dr. Thomas Frist, Sr. led a group of physicians to build a hospital in Nashville,Tennessee. Close to four decades of hard work and dedication have made HCA – Hospital Corporation of America – the nation’s leading provider of quality healthcare services, with locally managed facilities that include approximately 191 hospitals and 82 outpatient surgery centers in 23 states, England and Switzerland.
In Florida, there are 40 hospitals and 28 surgery centers, three division offices, and multiple other service facilities affiliated with HCA that employ close to 40,000 individuals.
HCA affiliated facilities in East Florida are a part of a quality healthcare network in East Florida and the Treasure Coast with 12 affiliated hospitals, 12 surgery centers, one integrated regional lab and one consolidated service center. Together, the network employs more than 12,500 individuals and has close to 6,000 physicians on staff.
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Hospitals have become the front line of healthcare in our country, creating demands never seen before. Technology, a growing and ever-changing part of healthcare, has pushed the boundaries of how care is provided and the expectations of those receiving care. Providing high quality and cost effective healthcare requires a constant upgrade of our facilities and the technology within the facilities.
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The benchmark for quality and leadership is found in the men and women who make up HCA East Florida network of hospitals. It is the caring touch of a physician, the friendly smile of a volunteer, the compassion of a nurse, the professionalism of a technician or the willingness to help of an office clerk. It is the excellence of the individual that has made HCA affiliated hospitals in East Florida recognized leaders in the communities they serve.
HCA’s affiliate hospitals consistently appear among the Top 100 Hospitals and receive outstanding ratings from the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. They receive 5 star ratings from Healthgrades, Inc. and recognition from the Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety. More importantly, our patient and physician satisfaction surveys consistently prove that the HCA affiliated East Florida hospitals are recognized leaders in the delivery of quality healthcare.
The 12 HCA East Florida affiliate hospitals provided in excess of $ 800 million in care to the neediest without any compensation. In addition, we have implemented a comprehensive charitable care policy that provides financial relief to more of our charity patients and needs-based discounts to uninsured patients.
One of the biggest challenges faced by the healthcare industry is the shortage of qualified healthcare professionals, especially Registered Nurses. Recognizing the challenge, we established scholarship programs at Palm Beach Community College, Broward Community College, Miami Dade College and Florida International University.
The active involvement of HCA affiliated hospitals in the community will continue through our support of major initiatives as well as our active leadership and participation in a variety of organizations that promote the social and economic wellbeing of our community and embrace our cultural diversity. If an initiative or organization is looking to build a Healthy Community, you’re likely to find someone from an HCA affiliated East Florida hospital actively involved.
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