Thread: More people dying of heat stroke this year

Over 30 people died of heat stroke in March and April this year, with a 65-year-old man thought to have died from heat stroke in Ban Bueng district of Chon Buri yesterday.


According to the Disease Control Department, the number of such fatalities during this month and last was relatively higher than last year, when 37 people died in the four months from March to June.


People who are vulnerable to heat stroke include those who work outdoors, pregnant women, children and elderly people who have underlying diseases.


The department has offered tips on how to identify people suffering from heat stroke. They will usually have a body temperature above 40oC, but without perspiring, they will be thirsty, have a headache, feel nauseous and experience muscle spasticity.


Preventive measures include drinking 6-8 glasses of water, wearing clothes to protect from over-exposure to sunlight and avoidance of outdoor activities, according to the department.


In Village 3 of Nong Sark sub-district in Chon Buri, a 65-year-old man was found dead next to a convenience store. Three bottles of drinking water and a box of food were found next to him. His body temperature was measured in excess of 40oC.


A vendor told the police that the man was still alive yesterday, but he sat motionlessly, as if he did not have the strength to move. Then he slowly sank down and fell sideways onto the ground next to the convenience store.


Police said that the extremely hot weather, compounded by alcohol, are thought to have been the cause of the man’s death. His body was taken to the Ban Bueng district hospital to determine the exact cause of death.

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Preventive measures include drinking 6-8 glasses of water

Which isn't enough in these temperatures.

Staying out of direct sunlight is the best solution but in truth the so-called heatstroke victims probably suffered heat exhaustion which has exacerbated other underlying medical conditions.

Heatstroke was particularly prevalent among the American GIs patrolling the bush in high season in Viet Nam when battling through dense undergrowth in temperatures of 38c triggered the victims losing the ability to control their internal temperature.

Somchai getting pissed doesn’t count, nor does idiocy practised by the stupid or infirm.

^ Correct.
Heat exhaustion is nasty, but one step up is heatstroke which has roughly a 50% mortality rate. What interests me is where is the cutoff between the two ? Surely one doesn't suddenly turn into the other. A person could have borderline or marginal heatstroke but still be classified as having heat exhaustion.

Did anyone in Brisbane ever konk out from SADS?

No, but a huge number everywhere die from stupidity in different forms, and no doubt you will eventually be one statistic.

the wife and I were out on the scooter this afternoon and passed a guy sitting outside a mom and pop shop, he looked a bit drunk to me. But when we came back about 10 minutes later he was flat on the grass, people standing around, pointing, even taking photos! We stop, I ask if he is ok...."don't know", nobody has actually checked it seemed. Has anybody called an ambulance or even one of the village health volunteers ? No.
FFS! Oh well if everybody else is just going to stand around somebody should at least check his pulse...guess it's going to be me. Yes, he was dead, no pulse. People start pointing to the sun, no doubt blaming it on heat stroke although apparently he was known to have quite a few medical problems. I do wonder how many deaths will be blamed on heatstroke instead of looking for other causes.
And no doubt the shop owners will have to call in the ghostbusters (aka the monks) to get rid of all the bad karma from somebody dropping dead on their front steps.

I start my construction work about 5.30 am and continue until 11.00 am then go under cover until around 5.00 pm and work until around 10.00 pm.

I must admit I have never experienced heat like this.