A Quick P.S.A. on Heat Exhaustion for Cyclists

While doing some research for my vacation, I stumbled upon a graphic on how to recognize and treat heat exhaustion. These are the types of things you look up when you're taking a three year old and a baby to the beach.

Knowing that the summer cycling season in L.A., and seeing the graphic was created by the American Medical Learning Center, I asked Streetsblogger Patrick Johnson for permission to repost on Streetsblog as a sort of P.S.A.

Johnson provided some text on heat exhaustion that can be found after the jump.

Heat exhaustion is a serious condition. In the hot summer months it’s important to know how to recognize and react to the signs of heat exhaustion. If you notice the following symptoms of heat exhaustion in another cyclist, move them to a cool, shaded area and start to cool them down immediately.

• Muscle cramping
• Pale skin tone
• Confusion, uncertainty
• Dizziness or poor balance
• Quick & shallow breathing
• Sudden and significant fatigue
• Nausea
• Slight increase in body temp
• Clammy, damp skin
• Profuse sweating

Be aware, and be safe.  Information provided by American Medical Learning Center and ACLS National. ACLS National provides training and testing services for a variety of certifications including CPR, BLS and ACLS.