Try this on for Cy's

The human body, like all machines generates heat, and like any machine, it has an ideal operating temperature. It tries to maintain a temperature of about 98.6 F. If its internal temperature gets much higher or lower than this figure, efficien cy is lost.

A person may become delirious and irrational, prone to do stupid things, insensitive to temperature and physically weak. He will become susceptible to heat stroke in summer or hypothermia in winter, and even death.

Maintaining the body's proper operating temperature is accomplished by holding heat in the body or getting rid if when too much accumulates. Getting rid of heat requires a certain amount of work, even if you are in front of an air conditioner, just as cooling an automobile engine takes a certain amount of its horsepower just to rotate the water pump and radiator fan.

The heart is the body's engine, and it must work harder in hot weather. Heat in the body is absorbed by the blood which is pumped by the heart to the arms and legs, where nearly one half of your body's surface area is located. There the heat is radiated to the air.

As the body gets warmer, special shunts in the fingers and toes open up to let arterial blood coming from the heart return directly to the veins and hence to the central body after it has been cooled at the skin surface.

Cold beverage reduces the work of cooling the body. If a person weighing 200 pounds, drinks one pound of ice water (two 8-ounce bottles,) his body will lose about 66 BTUs of heat as that water temperature is raised from near freezing to body t emperature, 98.6 F.

Perspiration increases the efficiency of heat dissipation. That one-pound of water will enter the blood stream from the digestive tract and eventually arrive at the skin surface as perspiration. When it evaporates, that same pound of water will remove 972 BTUs of heat from the body.

Is it any wonder after a hot day we feel so tired, even though we may not have done any hard physical labor? The rest of our body hasn't done anything, but our heart worked just as hard as it would if we had been at a brisk walk all day.

If a person's body generates more heat than it can get rid of due to having a weak heart, un-replenished body fluids, too much activity, not enough shade, etc., he can get heat exhaustion. Some of the symptoms are:

Heavy Sweating.
Weakness.
Rapid pulse.
Normal temperature
Headache and dizziness
Nausea and vomiting.

Unconsciousness
hot, dry skin
high body temperature
rapid pulse and respiration
weakness, dizziness, headache.

When the body suffers heat stroke, it has lost all control of its temperature. Its cooling system has failed. Like the automobile that blows a radiator hose may ruin the motor block, heat stroke can kill or leave a person mentally impaired possibl y for the rest of his life.

Treatment heat stroke requires immediate first aid. The first order of business is to lower body temperature especially of the victim's head, and replenish body fluids.

If heat stroke is suspected, call 911 immediately. Brain damage can result if body temperature exceeds 105 or 106 F for very long. Water should be poured directly on the victim's head and body. Fan the person if possible. Seek medical evacuation at once.