Is it heat exhaustion or heat stroke? Here are the symptoms to watch for

UC Davis ^ | July 30, 2024 | Staff

[TexasGator]

“I am also in the market for an air conditioned lawn mowing tractor instead of waiting until evening to mow the yard and finishing at 2200 hrs.”

I am 78 and my battery push mower and I were still making the rounds. Wife surprised me with a self-propelled one just before summer set in.

[LilFarmer]

That is scary!

I try to get all my barn and garden chores done before 10am, but even then, I will start pouring sweat and that’s my cue to stop and go in.

I have started drinking electrolytes first thing before I head out and that helps a ton

[Mean Daddy]

Years ago, a Muslim doctor in Omaha who had made the pilgrimage to Mecca and when they suspect someone of heat stroke, they wet them down with tepid water and fan them to recreate the body sweating and the evaporation pulling the heat out of the body. There was a high school football player they brought in with a helicopter and they poured water on the kid while underneath the helicopter blades. American doctors will put a person in shock by submersing them in ice when the body just needs help mimicking its natural process.

[Dacula]

I work at a baseball park and Saturday we had temps in the upper 90s. I thought I drank a lot of water. In the middle of the night, my legs started cramping and hurt like heck. I got up and drank several large glasses of water.

I won’t make that mistake again.

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Unless you are on a low salt diet, be sure to take some extra to avoid the cramps...............

[Red Badger]

Sports drinks like Gatorade and Power-Ade have sodium, potassium and other electrolytes to prevent the cramps.............

[MeanWestTexan]

There is a powder called “Liquid IV” that my 400M running daughter’s coach swears by, as does my daughter, both sugar-containing and sugar free.

So I’ve bought it.

It works well; I think better than other sports drinks. Not sure why.

https://www.eatthis.com/is-liquid-iv-good-for-you/

[Red Badger]

Probably because you can add as much electrolyte as you want and not be held to what the mfrs want to put in or not............

[MeanWestTexan]

Maybe so.

According to studies it will rehydrate you faster than water due to its specific ingredients.

That said, West Texas is no place to mess with dehydration, so I’ll take the experience of a West Texas coach on that issue.

[TexasGator]

Sodium: Essential for fluid balance and helps retain water.

Potassium: Plays a role in maintaining proper water balance and nutrient transport.

Salt: A source of sodium.

Potassium citrate and dipotassium phosphate: Sources of
potassium.

Sodium citrate: Helps balance flavor and is a source of sodium.

[Dacula]

You are so correct Red Badger. The sad thing is that I have access to all of the sports drinks for free and didn’t want to drink them because of the sodium. I preach to all our employees to stay hydrated and didn’t listen to my own advice.

I better learn to practice what I preach.

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Sports drinks like Gatorade and Power-Ade have sodium, potassium and other electrolytes to prevent the cramps.............

[minnesota_bound]

#13 I read a Nextdoor post last week where the person says their bill was $675...! plus the trash and sewer fee of almost $200. They did not mention the water bill amount.

[minnesota_bound]

#21 Here are some choices....

Air Conditioner on a push mower
https://www.orangetractortalks.com/forums/threads/air-conditioner-on-a-push-mower.49128/

The Wonderboy X-100
https://discuss.machinerypete.com/t/the-wonderboy-x-100-the-experimental-futuristic-lawn-mower-of-the-late-1950s/2499

The Comfort Lawn Mower of 1957
https://www.facebook.com/oldhistoricalpicturess/posts/the-power-mower-of-the-future-the-comfort-lawn-mower-of-1957in-the-1950s-america/447873931689906/

Ferris ISX3300
https://curtisindustries.net/shop/product/premium-ac-cab-for-ferris-isx3300/

[Hyman Roth]

Yep

[Hyman Roth]

That’s because you don’t get government grants to do studies all day. 😎

[Bon of Babble]

I was fortunate - my husband pulled up our lawns, front and back - several years ago and we now have native plants and trees - my water bill has never gone over tier 1.

Some of my neighbors are elderly or disabled and have to keep the a/c at 74 degrees so their bills are terrible.

We have a pow-wow in my front yard when the bills come in and we all compare notes - the ones with large lawns, front and back, are getting hit hard with high water bills, unfortunately, the elderly and disabled too because of having to keep the a/c turned low.

[minnesota_bound]

In England they do the same rip off as here. It is because of owners giving investors a percent plus what they want which is always more.
https://dailysceptic.org/2025/07/22/the-great-water-rip-off-has-been-obvious-for-decades/