This document discusses various environmental health issues including heat-related illnesses like heat stroke and heat exhaustion, cold-related illnesses like hypothermia, and issues related to altitude changes, lightning strikes, sun exposure, and air pollution. It provides details on the physiology of temperature regulation, mechanisms of heat exchange, signs and symptoms of different heat-related illnesses, and recommendations for prevention and treatment.

1. Environmental Conditions

2. Types of Environmental Health Issues
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•
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•
•
Hyperthermia
Hypothermia
Altitude
Sunburn
Lightning
Air Pollution

3. Heat
• Heat illness is a serious threat to health, but it
is preventable

4. Physiology
• Metabolic Heat Production
– Normal metabolic function results in heat
production (“burning” of calories)
• Therefore, we need to find a way to dissipate
the heat in order to maintain normal body
temperature

5. Heat Exchange
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•
•
•
Conduction – direct contact (loss or gain)
Convection – circulation (loss or gain)
Radiation – sun (heat gain only)
Evaporation (heat loss only)
– When radiant heat and environmental
temperature is greater than body temperature,
the body must cool via sweat evaporation
• Cannot evaporate sweat in relative humidity of 75% or
more

6. Heat Index
• Wet Bulb Globe Temperature
Index (WBGT)
– Incorporates
• Dry bulb – standard air
temperature
• Wet bulb – heat with humidity
• Black bulb – radiant heat
– These readings together
provide a heat index reading
that yields exercise
recommendations
– WBT and DBT are measured
using a sling psychrometer
(manual or digital)

7. Heat Index

8. Heat Index

9. The sun’s heat is an example of
this type of heat exchange:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Conduction
Convection
Radiation
Evaporation
None of the above
20%
1
20%
20%
2
3
20%
4
20%
5

10. Heat Illness
• Heat Rash (prickly heat)
– Red, raised rash that stings from sweat
• Heat Syncope (fainting)
– Associated with rapid fatigue, overexposure to
heat, and long periods of standing
• Heat Cramps
– Due to dehydration and electrolyte imbalance

11. Heat Illness
• Heat Exhaustion
– Result of dehydration and overexertion
– Cardiac output drops
– S&S
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•
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Profuse sweating
Pale skin
Mild elevation in temperature
Dizziness
Nausea
Vomiting/diarrhea
Hyperventilation
Muscle cramps
Loss of coordination
– Must be hydrated and cleared by a physician to return to play

12. Heat Illness
• Heat Stroke
– Life – threatening condition
– Sudden onset
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•
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•
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Collapse
Loss of consciousness
Dysfunction of the central nervous system
Flushed, hot, dry skin (minimal sweating)
Shallow breathing
Strong rapid pulse
High core body temperature
– Drastic cooling measures must be implemented
– Constant core temperature evaluation
– Remove from cold tub when core temp reaches 10

13. Prevention of Heat Illness
• Stay cool and ingest fluids
• Drink before thirsty
– 1-2% drop in body weight indicated dehydration
• Modify exercise in hot humid climates
• Allow athletes unlimited access to water
• Sports drinks
– Replaces electrolytes
– Flavor enhances desire to drink
• Aclimitization
– Preseason conditioning – graded conditioning over 7-10 days
– 80% acclimitization can occur in the first 5-6 days of double
practices

14. Prevention of Heat Illness
• Identify those who are at risk
– Athletes with large muscle mass
– Overweight athletes
– Women are physiologically more efficient with
temperature regulation
– Individuals with
• Poor fitness
• History of heat illness
• Heart conditions
• Wear light clothing that is breathable
• Weight records
• Temperature and humidity readings

15. Heat exhaustion is a medical
emergency and is the most severe
heat illness.
1. True
2. False
50%
1
50%
2

16. Hypothermia is a heat related
illness.
1. True
2. False
50%
1
50%
2

17. Hypothermia
• Most activities in sport allow for adequate
heat production (watch warm up and down
times)
• Temperature in combination with wind chill,
and wetness increases chance of hypothermia

18. Prevention of hypothermia
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Wear gear that wicks moisture away from skin
Windproof and waterproof fabrics
Dress in layers
Hydration assists with heat maintenance
Associated cold injuries
– Frost nip, frost bite
– Raynaud’s Syndrome

19. Altitude
• Natives
– Larger chest capacity, more alveoli, capllaries, and red
blood cells
• Residents
– Partial adaptations include
• Increased mitochondria, hemoglobin and glycogen
conservation
• Visitor
– Increased breathing and heart rates
– Changes in blood flow and enzyme activity
– Takes 2-3 weeks to adjust

20. Altitude illness
• Acute mountain sickness
– Due to disruption in fluid balances in the brain
– Headache, nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbance, dyspnea
• Pulmonary edema
– Lungs accumulate fluid
– Dyspnea, cough, headache, weakness, LOC
• Sickle Cell Trait
– 8-10% of African Americans have this trait
• High red blood cell hemoglobin
– In high altitudes, the blood is deoxygenated, and the RBC’s
clump together, causing deoxigenation of the tissues and tissue
death.
– Results in enlarges spleen and possibly rupture

21. Lightning
Lightning is only seen after it has hit the ground, and is travelling back to the sky

22. Lightning Safety
• #2 Cause of death by weather phenomena
• For safety of athletes and spectators, there
must be a plan of action
• Safety
– Avoid large trees, flag/light poles, standing water,
telephones, bleachers, pools, showers, umbrellas,
other metal objects
– If hair stands up on your hand, you are in
imminent danger and should minimize the surface
area for the lightning to strike

23. Lightning Safety
• Flash to bang method
– Estimates the distance of the storm from your
location
• Count the time from the flash of lightning to the sound
of the thunder
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–
–
–
5 seconds = 1 mile
30 seconds indicated inherent danger
15 seconds - should evacuate the field
May return to the field 30 minutes following the last sound of
thunder

24. If the hair on your head stands up,
you should lie flat on the ground so
the lightning doesn’t strike you.
1. True
2. False
50%
1
50%
2

25. Air Pollution
• Problem in urban areas
• Types
– Photochemical haze – nitrogen dioxide and stagnant air
• When mixed with sun, creates and ozone
– Smog – carbon monoxide (effects lungs and cognitive
performance)and sulfur dioxide (effects lung capacity and
efficiency)
• Ozone
– Athletes may experience shortness of breath, coughing, chest
tightness, pain with deep breathing, nausea, eye irritation,
fatigue, lung irritation, etc
– Asthmatics are at greater risk of symptoms
– May become desensitized over time