It seems that Japan is getting hotter and hotter every year. It’s almost the end of August, but it can still be hot for a while.
Even if you are from hot area/country, please be cautious because Japan is really humid. Humidity can get you. If you are jet-lagged, unaccustomed to heat and humidity, or tired, you are more likely to suffer heatstroke.
What is heatstroke?
Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that happens when your body temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit). It’s usually the result of overexertion in hot, humid conditions. Symptoms can include confusion, seizures or loss of consciousness. Heatstroke requires emergency treatment. If untreated, heatstroke can lead to organ failure, a coma or even death.
What are the symptoms?
High body temperature (above 40 ℃ ≒104 ℉), headache (throbbing headache), altered mental state or behavior, alteration in sweating, nausea and vomitting, flushed skin (your skin may turn red), rapid and shallow breathing, racing heart rate (pulse increase)
If you think a person may be experiencing heatstroke, seek immediate medical help. Call Japanese emergency 119 or ask somebody nearby for help by showing this sentence.
「熱中症のようです。救急車を呼んでください」（It seems this person suffers heatstroke. Please call ambulance）
How to prevent it?
Here is how to prevent heatstrokes by Ministry of Health: Preventing heatstroke (mhlw.go.jp)
Keep Hydrated
Sometimes, if you are sweating too much, drinking water is not enough because you lose sodium in blood and drinking more water dilutes the sodium concentration in the blood. As a result, the body is unable to recover the amount of fluid it had before sweating, which reduces athletic performance, raises body temperature, and can cause heatstroke. If that is the case, sports drinks might be better. The popular sports drinks in Japan are: POCARI SWEAT, AQUARIUS, GREEN DA-KA-RA and etc. You can show this sentence to buy sports drink.
「スポーツドリンクをください」（Sports drinik, please)
Stay informed
Heatstroke Alert Heat Illness Prevention Information provided by MoE (env.go.jp)
NHK WORLD Heatstroke index for Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan | NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Twitter (3) Japan Safe Travel (JST)（@JapanSafeTravel）さん / X (twitter.com) will tweet when heatstroke alert is issued, JST is operated by JNTO
I had a mild case of heatstroke a few years ago. I never thought I would …… but unfortunately heatstroke is common. Please take precautions.
Comments