Written by Summer is many people’s favorite season as it brings with it longer days, warm weather, outdoor activities, swimming, cool savories, and whatnot. However, summer also brings with it the sun, heat, and high temperatures. Such high temperatures can result in heat exhaustion, which occurs when your body is overheated. This condition is less severe but can result in dangerous symptoms and other severe conditions like heat stroke. Let us understand more about heat exhaustion and using CBD to treat it.
What Is Heat Exhaustion?
When your body overheats in response to external factors such as high temperature, it leads to heat exhaustion. This condition can happen to anyone and is common in athletes who exercise outdoors during summers. Heat exhaustion can also occur if you are in a hot car or any area which is not air-conditioned.
There are two main types of heat exhaustion namely water depletion and salt depletion.
Though heat exhaustion is not as serious as heat stroke, without proper intervention, it can result in heatstroke. Thus, it becomes important to get treatment promptly.
What Are The Symptoms Of Heat Exhaustion?
The symptoms of heat exhaustion may develop all of a sudden or over time. These symptoms can be more visible with long periods of exercise. Possible signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
- Heavy Sweating
- Cool, moist skin
- Faintness
- Dizziness
- Weak, rapid pulse
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
What Causes Heat Exhaustion?
If your body temperature rises and you are not able to cool yourself down, you may start feeling heat exhaustion. This usually happens during summers when the temperature is high.
Our body’s way of cooling itself down is sweating. When we sweat, the evaporation of this sweat regulates our body temperature. But, when we involve in excessive exercising or overexert in hot and humid weather, our body is unable to cool itself properly. As a result, we tend to develop heat cramps which can progress to heat exhaustion.
Some other causes of heat exhaustion include:
- Dehydration
- Using Alcohol
- Overdressing
Risk Factors
- Obesity. Excess weight can interfere with your body’s capacity to regulate temperature, causing it to retain extra heat.
- Sudden Temperature Changes: You’re more prone to heart-related diseases, such as heat exhaustion, if you’re not acclimated to it. Because your body hasn’t had time to adjust to the higher temperatures, traveling to a warm environment from a cold one or living in a region that has seen an early heatwave might put you at risk of a heat-related disease.
- Heat exhaustion is more likely among infants and children under the age of four, as well as people over the age of 65. In the young, the body’s capacity to regulate temperature isn’t completely developed, and in older individuals, it may be hampered by sickness, medicines, or other circumstances.
How To Treat Heat Exhaustion?
It is very important to treat heat exhaustion as soon as you feel any sign of this condition. You can adopt the following ways to treat heat exhaustion.
- You need to cool your body down as soon as you feel any sign of Heat exhaustion. Rest in a shady area or an air-conditioned building. Rest with your legs elevated higher than your heart level.
- Avoid drinking any alcoholic beverage which can increase dehydration. Instead, stick to cool water or sports drinks.
- Take a cool shower, soak in a cool bath. You can also put cool towels on your skin in order to reduce the temperature.
- Wear loose clothing. If you are wearing unnecessary clothing, loosen or remove them.
Using CBD For Heat Exhaustion
Cannabidiol or CBD is a highly effective cannabinoid when it comes to treating heat exhaustion. This cannabinoid is extracted from the cannabis-based hemp plant and is non-psychoactive in nature i.e. it will not make you high.
Our body’s Endocannabinoid system plays an essential role in keeping our body’s temperature adjusted and maintaining homeostasis. CBD when enters our body interacts with the cannabinoid receptors present in the ECS and helps in relieving various bodily issues.
CBD oil also helps in maintaining your blood pressure. CBD has the ability to reduce resting blood pressure as well as heart rate. A study published in 2017, showed that a single dose of CBD reduced the resting BP and BP increase to stress in humans associated with increased Heart rate. If you feel an increase in heart rate due to severe heat, you can simply vape CBD oil as it allows quick absorption of CBD and will provide faster relief.
CBD has also been shown to bind another G-protein coupled receptor known as TRPV-1. This receptor is known to play an active role in regulating body temperature as well as pain and inflammation.
Heat exhaustion can also result in sudden stress and anxiety which in turn can impact our heart health. CBD is a well-known anti-anxiety and stress-relieving remedy. There have been studies that display the potential effects of CBD in reducing stress and anxiety disorders.
Another symptom that CBD can help in relieving muscle cramps and headaches that can be common symptoms of heat exhaustion. This cannabinoid is well known for its pain-relieving properties and has been studied in managing difficult-to-treat pain.
How To Take CBD Oil For Heat Exhaustion?
You can adopt the below-mentioned ways to consume CBD oil if you face any symptoms of heat exhaustion:
1. Taking CBD oil sublingually by placing a few drops under your tongue and swallowing it after 90 seconds.
2. Vaping CBD oil via CBD Vape Pens for quick absorption and faster healing. We would recommend this method as it will give you relief within a few minutes of consumption.
3. You can also add a few drops of CBD oil to your food items such as coffee, smoothies, salads, etc.
Preventing Heat Exhaustion
If you are an athlete or someone who has a higher risk of getting a heat-related illness, you can take the following precautions to prevent heat exhaustion.
1. Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothes.
2. Keep yourself hydrated in order to maintain normal body temperature.
3. Protect yourself from sunburns. Apply sunscreen or ozonated CBD skin creams to fight sunburns.
4. Never leave anyone in the parked car.
5. Do not overexert yourself while exercising.
Final Thoughts on CBD For Heat Exhaustion
Heat Exhaustion can lead to heat stroke and sudden death if not treated promptly. Therefore, you must make sure that you follow all possible ways in order to prevent heat exhaustion and if you feel any sign, make sure to treat it as soon as possible. Taking CBD oil can help in maintaining your body temperature as well as relieving other symptoms of heat exhaustion. You can take CBD oil before you start exercising or performing any strenuous activity at a high temperature. This supplement is safe, non-psychoactive, and non-addictive reducing the chances of heat exhaustion.
We hope you liked this article on CBD for heat exhaustion. Please let us know your suggestions in the comment section below.
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