Golfers beware: the blistering summer is dangerous

The average daytime high temperature for the weekend was reported to be in the 90s.

Standing in direct sunlight, it will feel hotter. A closed automobile can reach over 130 degrees inside in a matter of minutes. In our area summer sun can be dangerous; it takes 20 minutes in the sun to get sunburned. Playing golf in the mid-summer dazzling sun can present health dangers.

            Dangers of heat illness from being in outdoor sweltering heat fall into three categories: heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. Painful cramps usually come as the result of dehydration. Water lubricates cells and tissues, and as water and electrolytes start to deplete the muscles cramp and seize. Heat exhaustion may be more serious than cramps with symptoms that include fatigue, nausea, headaches, excessive thirst, weakness, and may be accompanied by confusion, dizziness, agitation and fainting. When our body is unable to dissipate its natural body heat (98.6 deg.) because of very high ambient air temperature, the core temperature rises and we suffer debilitation effects.  A body temperature on anything approaching 106 degrees is an emergency. Then there is the worry about the big C.S. cutaneous malignant melanoma, called “lentigo maligna” which is usually found in areas of the skin that have been overly sun exposed, often on the face and neck. It shows up as a patch of mottled pigmentation seen as shades of dark brown, tan or black. If you notice such an occurrence don’t hesitate to have it examined by a physician.

            Heatstroke is another matter. Medical experts note that a person suffering from heatstroke will feel really hot and will usually not be completely rational or focused. There is hot, flushed dry skin, rapid heartrate, quickened shallow breathing and often vomiting. Frequently heatstroke victims seem disoriented or perhaps delirious and will sometimes pass out. Heatstroke is a serious emergency and immediate transport to the hospital after first aid is administered is a must. Golfers and outdoor enthusiasts have to be aware of the potential dangers of heat-related illness as well as other, less threatening conditions such as sun poisoning and heat  prostration.

            You don’t have to turn lobster red to suffer from sun poisoning. Over-exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can result in pain and tingling, swelling of the skin and more. One form of sun poisoning is a condition called “polymorphous light eruption,” or PMLE. PMLE can occur in people who are exposed to intense sunlight that they are not used to. Most susceptible are people living in northern climates, where the sun isn’t quite so intense or hot, and then are exposed to extreme solar radiation. Symptoms of PMLE include skin rash, small bumps all over the body, and often hives. I have noticed “snowbirds” from up north who stay in our area into late spring fall victim to PMLE.

            We live in a dry climate that it’s easy to forget to drink fluids, mainly water, and hydrate properly because feeling thirsty happens when we should have been hydrating long before hand. In part 2 next week we will cover treatment, safety and prevention for dangers of heat-related conditions.

Charlie Blanchard is a guest columnist and a retired golf teacher and writer. He can be reached at docblanchard71@gmail.com.