Iloilo teen succumbs to heat stroke

The searing summer heat has become so severe it has started to claim human casualties, the latest being a 16-year-old high school student who succumbed to heat stroke days before his graduation in Iloilo province. Van Ricrey Gallardo of Zarraga town collapsed after playing basketball and attending a fiesta (community feast in honor of a patron saint) in another town, after which he was rushed to the hospital but did not survive, Iloilo-based news site The News Today reported on Friday. According to the Department of Health (DOH), heat stroke is the “most severe form of heat illness when the body overheats and can’t cool down," adding that “the body cannot take off the excessive heat by sweating because of dehydration and/or humid environment." This week, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) announced the start of the summer season, bringing higher temperatures that are expected to peak in April. Causes of heat stroke, according to DOH, are dehydration, too much direct exposure to the sun, and vigorous exercise in hot weather. “The risk of heat stroke goes way up in hot and humid weather," the DOH said on an health advisory posted on its website. Meanwhile, signs of heat exhaustion include faintness, dizziness, weakness, headache, and a warm, flushed skin, which may worsen to an “emergency condition" of heat stroke characterized by very high fever of 41 degrees Celsius, rapid heartbeat, convulsion, delirium, and unconsciousness. To prevent heat exhaustion, the DOH recommends limiting the amount of time spent outdoors, especially this summer season. It also advised drinking plenty of water and avoiding tea, coffee, soda, and alcohol. Immediate treatment includes having a person lie down with his or her legs elevated indoors and sip cool water. Clothing must also be removed and cool water applied on the skin, including ice packs on armpits, wrists, ankles, and groin.—NC/JV, GMANews.TV