Wilderness Survival Guide 53 www.adventuresmart.ca Overheating your body by overexposure to the sun’s heat or through overexertion will result in the excessive loss of valuable body fluids and salts through heavy sweating, causing a chemical imbalance called “heat cramps”. Your stomach will feel upset and you will begin to experience muscle cramps in your extremities and abdomen. Immediately rest in the shade, loosen your clothes and drink water to replace your body’s losses. If you ignore these warning signs, your condition will advance to a circulatory imbalance called “heat exhaustion”. Your skin will appear pale and feel cold and clammy, your pulse will be weak but regular, and your breathing will be rapid and shallow. You will feel weaker; suffer from further nausea, possibly vomiting, headaches, blurred vision and dizziness. Immediately remove excess clothing, lie flat in the shade, elevate your feet and drink plenty of water. If you push your body further, you will advance to a nervous system imbalance called “heat stroke”. At this point, you may be beyond self-help, but if you can, you must cool yourself quickly or you will die! Therefore, it is imperative that you pay attention to what your body tells you and respond immediately to its messages, especially in a survival situation. Exposing skin to winds can result in a windburn, while exposure to reflected or direct sunlight during a bright or even cloudy day in the summer or winter can cause sun burning of any exposed skin. Not only will these add to your discomfort, but they will increase the loss of your body’s fluids, so every precaution should be taken to limit your exposure, either by taking advantage of shade or natural wind breaks. By covering any exposed skin from the sun and wind, you not only reduce the risk of skin irritation, but you also reduce the risk of suffering from hypothermia and frostbite in the winter months. As you can see, the threat of fluid and salt loss through perspiration and evaporation are always present and MUST BE CONSIDERED before you attempt to do anything in a survival situation! HEAT STRESSES & WINDBURN Pay attention to what your body tells you and respond immediately to its messages,especially in a survival situation.
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