Before learning about the various home remedies for heat stroke, it is important to understand what exactly a heat stroke is, and what causes it. In tropical countries, one of the most common problems is heat stroke. With global temperatures rising and climate change being an actual thing, temperatures are higher than ever, and every year is hotter than the last. Staying outdoors or staying exposed to direct sunlight can cause body temperatures to rise above normal levels and results in a heat stroke.
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The normal temperature of the human body is 37˚C. If the temperature of the body rises above 40˚C, then you might experience a heat stroke, which can not cause you to pass out and collapse, but can also harm your internal organs. Over exertion in direct sunlight is one of the primary causes of heat stroked. Young children, older people and people suffering from diseases or maladies are more likely to suffer from this kind of severe heat exhaustion. Some of the common symptoms of heat stroke are:
- Heavy breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Feeling of extreme hotness around the neck, ears, joints
- Increased heart rate
- Dizziness
- Flushed cheeks
- Hallucinations
- Seizures
- Fainting
- Excessive sweating
If you or someone around you experiences any of the above symptoms, then it is likely that they are experiencing a heat stroke. The first step in such cases is to go a cool place (not air conditioned) and relax your body completely. After the necessary first aid, it is time to evaluate how you can treat and prevent these symptoms with these simple and effective home remedies for heat stroke.
Suggested read: 14 Superbly Effective Home Remedies To Reduce Body Heat
1. Onion juice
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One of the best natural cooling agents for the body is fresh onion juice. It has properties which helps bring down the body temperature immediately, so it is useful if you have some onion juice made and stored in an airtight container in your fridge, at least for the summer months.
Take 2 whole onions and put them through a blender till they form a thick paste. Strain the pulp so that you are left with a clear juice, which you can then apply to sensitive areas like the chest, and the back of your ears, so that your body temperature goes down immediately. You can also include raw onions in your diet, so that your body temperatures remain cool, preventing the possibility of a heat stroke.
2. Coriander juice
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In order to prevent the occurrence of a heat stroke if you are prone to such things, or if you are suffering from some other problem, you need to consume 2 tall glasses of fresh coriander juice. Coriander is a great herb for body cooling purposes and a coriander smoothie can work wonders when it comes to cooling down your body.
You can take a handful of coriander and mix it with some salt, water and lemon juice to create a refreshing smoothie. It can also act as a great treatment for heat strokes, after experiencing them, as they help revive the person and bring down body temperatures with immediate effect.
3. Cold bath
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The whole premise of home remedies for heat stroke relies on methods and ingredients which are easily accessible, and which will bring down the body temperature of the person suffering from it immediately. The most effective thing you can do to relieve the person of this exhaustion is to give them a cold bath. Fill a bathtub with water (because standing in the shower might cause more exertion) and let them relax while their body temperature comes down. If you are suffering from the heat stroke, then this is a relatively easy first aid method you can use to take care of yourself.
4. Aam Panna or spicy mango drink
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Aam panna is an Indian drink made of raw mango and a number of spices, all of which together constitute a highly cooling drink which acts as one of the most effective remedies against heat stroked. All the ingredients in this drink help to reduce body temperature from the inside, with immediate effect.
To prepare this, boil 6 raw mangoes in water and deseed them when soft. Take the pulpy mango and dissolve it in a litre of water and add a tablespoon each of salt, sugar, cumin powder and chaat masala and mix well. Add a handful of crushed mint leaves and store it in the fridge for when you suffer a heat stroke, or to keep your body cool in general.
Suggested read: 8 Amazing Home Remedies To Help You Treat Prickly Heat
5. Essential oils
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Essential oils get absorbed into the body and act as cooling agents when rubbed into nerve points in the body. They are soothing, natural remedies for times when you suffer from a heat stroke, because they help relax the skin, calm the nerves and reduce body temperature immediately after application.
You will need 2 drops of lavender oil, 3 tablespoons of almond oil or olive oil and 2 drops of peppermint oil. Mix all of these ingredients together and apply them to the back of your neck, the inside of your wrists, the soles of your feet and the palms of your hands to bring down the overall temperature of your body, and help your body relax after a heat stroke.
6. Tamarind drink
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Tamarind, or imli is another great natural coolant for the body. It is rich in a lot of essential nutrients like vitamins and electrolytes, and when consumed with water, helps in normalizing body temperature after you have suffered from a heat stroke.
To create a tamarind drink, soak 10 tamarinds in boiling water overnight, strain after they become soggy, and keep the pulp in the fridge. Mix the pulp with a tall glass of cool water and consume with a pinch of black salt or black salt after you have suffered from a heat stroke. You will experience immediate relief in terms of exhaustion and body heat after you have tamarind juice.
7. Apple cider vinegar
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When you suffer from a heat stroke, your body loses electrolytes, which increases dehydration and enhances the exhaustion and the dizziness you feel. Apple cider vinegar is one of the best emergency home remedies for heat stroke, as consuming one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of cool water can help replenish the lost electrolytes in the body and restore energy, without too much effort on your part. If you have to go out often in this heat, or you feel like your body is susceptible to heat strokes and heat exhaustion, then make a pitcher of apple cider vinegar dissolved in water in the fridge, and immediate after you start seeing symptoms of a heat stroke, consume it to prevent the worse from happening.
8. A cold towel
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A person suffering from a heat stroke has a lot of heat contained inside their body, which needs to escape in order to restore health to the body. Heat can escape the body when accessible places with nerve endings are immediately cooled after you have experienced a spell of heat stroke. The simplest and most effective way of doing this is by applying a cold towel to the head, or the back of the neck, your face or your feet, so that the temperature in these places is reduced, and the overall temperature of the body goes down.
It is also a relaxing experience as the person gets to lie down while their body returns to normal temperatures, and any further health disasters are avoided.
9. Sandalwood paste
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Sandalwood has been scientifically proven to reduce body temperatures and treat the symptoms of a heat stroke including dizziness and nausea because of the cooling compounds present in it. Sandalwood has been used as an ancient home remedy for several health related problems since ancient times, and is an effective remedy against heat strokes.
To prepare a paste, mix 2 tablespoons of sandalwood with water or rose water till you have a paste like consistency and apply it to you chest, neck and feet till the heat from your body escapes.
Suggested read: 14 Superbly Effective Home Remedies For Heart Palpitations
10. Avoid caffeinated drinks and sugar
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One of the commons symptoms of a heat stroke is extreme exhaustion. The natural reaction to this would be to restore energy to the body by means of agents like caffeine and sugar. However, it is imperative that you avoid these two things in the event of a heat stroke at all costs. Caffeine especially prevents your body from regulating temperature sand in some cases increases the temperature of your body because it produces internal energy. Caffeinated drinks can cause a heart attack if consumed after a heat stroke, so you have to be very careful.
In the event of a heat stroke, the first thing you should be doing is cooling the body down, so that it reaches normal temperature and the patient is well rested. However, after sufficient amounts of rest and water, there are a number of home remedies for heat stroke that could help you keep the problem at bay altogether.
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