Author:
Charles Brown
Date Of Creation:
9 February 2021
Update Date:
27 June 2024
Content
Heat cramps is a muscle spasm or muscle spasm that can affect you when you exercise or work in a warm environment, such as outdoors on a hot summer day. The difference between muscle cramps and heat cramps is that heat cramps are caused by a lot of moisture and salt loss as a result of heavy sweating (not as a result of the heat itself). The pain normally occurs when the person does not maintain sufficient water levels during the loss of moisture as a result of sweating. As a result of an imbalance in the water balance, the electrolyte levels in your body will drop too far (hyponatraemia). Most of the time, the pain affects your calves, thighs, and abdomen (although heat cramps can potentially affect any muscle). Rest assured, you can treat most heat cramps with relative ease.
To step
Method 1 of 2: Treating heat cramps
Identify the times when you experience heat cramps. Heat cramps are sore muscles due to dehydration and are usually the result of exercising or working in a warm environment. Heat cramps are not caused by the heat itself or being in a warm environment, as the name suggests. Heavy sweating as a result of exercise results in a loss of both fluid and electrolytes (salt) that we need for our muscles to function normally. While heat cramps can affect any muscle group, they are most common in calves, arms, abs and back muscles. 
Stop exercising. Heat cramps is not a cramp that will disappear by itself when you continue exercising. It's your body's way of telling you that you need a break. The first step to take to treat heat cramps is to stop the exercise or physical activity that caused the cramp. 
Rest in a cool environment. Heat cramps is often the result of too intensive exercise in the summer heat. If this is the case, get out of the sun as soon as possible. Cool down in the shade or indoors and give yourself time to rest and cool off. - You can help your body cool down by placing a wet towel on your neck.
Make sure you get enough fluids. The cramp is a reaction to dehydration and a loss of electrolytes, so you should do everything you can to regain your hydration while you rest. Preferably drink a sports drink (Gatorade, etc.) or a drink containing electrolytes, such as Pedialyte. Sports drinks with 25 to 200 mg of sodium are best. - Clear fruit juice is another option that provides you with both the fluids and electrolytes your body needs.
- If you only have water available, you could dissolve a quarter or a half teaspoon of table salt in one liter of water. The solution may not taste as good as a sports drink, but it will work.
Try to slightly stretch the affected muscle group. You can make the cramps disappear faster if you try to stretch the muscle group slightly. Use full extension and contraction of the muscle in exercises instead of intense stretching and stretching exercises. This will help reduce muscle spasms and pain in your muscles. 
Keep a close eye on the cramps. Heat cramps usually disappear fairly quickly when you get enough rest and your hydration levels are restored. Try to determine the time from when the cramping started. If the cramping has not subsided (or has gotten worse) after an hour, you should contact your doctor. 
Do not go back to exercise or back to work as soon as the cramping has disappeared. The disappearance of the cramp alone is not enough to ensure that you have fully restored your fluid balance, so don't take that as an indication that you can continue exercising. You should continue to drink plenty of fluids and wait for several hours before continuing with any strenuous activity. Otherwise, you risk more cramps or a more serious condition from the heat, such as heat stroke. 
Be prepared for recurring cramps in the future. If you work outdoors in the summer months or like to run outdoors, it is nearly impossible to avoid the summer heat completely, but you can minimize the risk of heat cramps in the future. Make sure you get enough fluids before exercising and have a sports drink regularly to avoid heat cramps. - You may still experience heat cramps for the first few days, but once you get used to the warm environment, getting enough fluids will likely stop you from experiencing heat cramps.
- At temperatures between 39.4 and 46.1 ° C, you should drink at least four cups of water per hour.
Method 2 of 2: Treat heat exhaustion
Determine if you are seeing other symptoms. If other symptoms develop in addition to the cramping, you may have already passed the heat cramping phase and suffered heat exhaustion before the symptoms started to show. The symptoms of heat exhaustion include: - Feeling weak
- Headache
- Dizziness or fainting
- Nausea and / or vomiting
- Increased heart rate
- Cool, moist skin
- Sweating heavily
Take your temperature. Heat-related conditions arise when your body is unable to maintain a normal temperature due to the usual sweating and evaporation. Take your temperature to determine which increase you are dealing with. A temperature higher than normal but lower than 40 ° C indicates heat exhaustion. - If your body temperature is 40 ° C or higher, which is a medical emergency, you should seek immediate medical attention.
- Other signs of heat stroke include confusion, fainting, excessive sweating, or red, warm, dry skin.
Find a cooler environment. It's very important to get out of the heat as soon as possible and start taking steps to lower your body temperature to prevent heat exhaustion from progressing into heat stroke. Immediately get out of the sun and heat and look for coolness, this is preferably an air-conditioned room. 
Drink cold water or sports drinks. As with heat cramps, your body needs extra fluids and electrolytes that it has already lost through sweating. Drink sports drinks, drinks with electrolytes (such as Pedialyte) or water with dissolved salt (half a teaspoon of salt per liter). - Your body will continue to sweat with the aim of lowering your body temperature. If you don't supply your body with enough moisture and salt to produce sweat, you can cause complications that result in heat stroke.
Remove unnecessary items of clothing. Even thin cotton garments will retain some heat. Remove as much clothing as possible. Make sure that whatever you end up wearing is made of light material that is not too tight around your body. 
Take additional measures to cool yourself down. You don't have to rely on sweating alone. Examples of additional measures you can take to lower your body temperature include: - Taking a bath or shower with cool water
- Watering yourself with cool water, sitting in front of a fan, or resting in an air-conditioned room
- Soak towels in cool water and then place them on your skin
- Place cold compresses under your armpits and on your neck
Rest and put your legs up, preferably above your head. Fainting due to a heat-related illness (heat syncope) is due to the dilation of the blood vessels, which reduces the blood flow to your head. To best avoid fainting, put your legs above head level to promote blood flow. 
Seek immediate medical attention. Heat exhaustion can rapidly progress to heat stroke, so you should keep a close eye on your own condition and be aware of when to seek immediate medical attention. Seek immediate medical attention in the following cases: - If your symptoms haven't cleared up after an hour
- If you are unable to get fluids and electrolytes due to nausea and vomiting
- If your body temperature is higher than 40 ° C
- If you are starting to be confused, have delirium, or are dealing with seizures
- If you experience rapid breathing and an increased heart rate long after you have stopped physical activity
Warnings
- Heat stroke can be life-threatening, and if you notice symptoms of heat stroke, you should immediately call the emergency number (112 in the Netherlands).
- Do not chew or otherwise use a salt tablet to treat heat cramps. This will only lead to an upset stomach and will not replace lost fluids.
