ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, June 4, 1996 TAG: 9606040030
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: health notes
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
It's hot again, and the boys and girls of summer (young and old) will be playing sports, mowing lawns, taking hikes and generally pushing further in unfriendly weather.
Neither the activities nor the weather will get the upper hand if we acclimate, prepare and use common sense.
Following is what the experts suggest; the first is for parents of adolescents getting started in sports and the rest is for all of us:
Parents of adolescents need to keep five things in mind if their children are just beginning to get involved in athletics, says Gail Allen, a pediatric nurse practitioner with Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. Allen was co-author of a three-part series on the issue for the Journal of Pediatric Health Care.
She says parents should know:
* Adolescents grow almost as fast as infants, and sometimes bone grows faster than muscle lengthens. The result is clumsy teens who can't always perform at the top athletically and shouldn't be forced to.
* Warm-up and stretching exercises can help anyone avoid injury. First, take a short, light jog. Then, devote 10 to 15 minutes to stretching, holding each stretch for 20 to 30 seconds. Don't bounce. Stretch all muscle groups first, then work on specific areas used in your sport. Stretch 15 minutes after cooling down.
* Even moderately active teen-agers need 1,500 to 3,000 daily calories on top of basic food needs. Athletes almost always weigh more than nonathletic peers because of the ratio of muscle to fat. Weight loss efforts during this period can be dangerous.
* Young athletes need to eat a balanced diet. Eat a small meal two to three hours before an athletic event.
* Thirst is not always an indicator of when you need to drink water. Fluid replacements should continue for 24 hours to 36 hours after a competition. Cold water is most effective.
These rules are good year-round; what comes next is aimed at summer activities.
Getting the body adjusted to weather changes is the key to surviving them. Heck, Olympic contenders, who are in tiptop condition, do it. The Italian team is plopping down in Winston-Salem, N.C., to adjust to heat, humidity, altitude and food before heading for Atlanta, notes Dr. Walt Curl, a professor of sports medicine at Bowman Gray School of Medicine in Winston-Salem.
Curl also is chairman of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, a group that believes we all need to know more about how the body handles temperature. Temperature is regulated by the hypothalamus. When body temperature goes up, blood vessels in the skin dilate to increase blood flow to the skin to make us sweat. We also breathe faster, and our pulse rate increases.
If these things don't happen, we get in trouble with heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat cramps - muscle twitching, cramps or spasm - are the mildest reactions to hyperthermia. Simple treatment includes drinking water and resting in a cool area. You're more susceptible to this when you're not conditioned.
Heat exhaustion can cause headache, fatigue, weakness, lack of coordination and excessive thirst and cramps as well as nausea or diarrhea. Skin may be ashen, cold and clammy. Treatment consists of moving to a cool place, sponging with cool water, fanning and drinking cool liquids. If the person can't drink, fluids have to be given intravenously.
Heatstroke is an emergency and may be evident by all of the symptoms already mentioned, but skin is hot and dry because the sweating ability has shut down. Treat this condition in an emergency room.
What are some ways to keep the above from happening?
Acclimate. Wear lightweight, light-colored, porous clothing and change into dry clothes as often as need.
Keep water available and drink small amounts frequently.
Practice or exercises in early morning or late afternoon and take rest and water breaks.
Be aware that humidity and temperature work together to provide the conditions for a good sweat; the higher either one is, the less favorable those conditions.
Spectators also need to be careful and avoid heat problems by dressing in loose, lightweight clothing, wearing a hat, using a water-based sunscreen, and heading for the shade as often as possible.
Can't do a 5-mile run? What about a 2-mile walk/run then? For the 18th year, Lewis-Gale Foundation is sponsoring a distance run. This year's is June 15, and running shoes will be the prizes for winners.
The first 600 people to register for either event get certificates for pasta meals from Ragazzi's and the 5-milers also get T-shirts. As an added enticement, the foundation is holding drawings for two USAir tickets and an Abbott Bus tour. Registration costs $15 for the 5-mile, $5 for the 2-mile. Registration forms can be picked up at Barker Realty or any First Virginia Bank.
If you don't want to run or run/walk, consider volunteering to help with the race. Call (540)774-4022 if that interests you.
"Good, Better, Breast: Total Breast Health for Women," is the topic for a lecture June 12 by Dr. Carol A. Reichel. Reichel, a plastic surgeon with Lewis-Gale Clinic, will discuss what women need to do to protect themselves from breast cancer and what can be done if they detect cancer in a breast. The program will be held at the Lewis-Gale Foundation Auditorium, on the campus of Lewis-Gale Medical Center in Salem, from 7-8:30 p.m. Call (540)774-4022 for information.
You can reach Sandra Brown Kelly at (800)346-1234, extension 393, if you're outside the Roanoke Valley; at 981-3393 in the Roanoke Valley; or through e-mail to biznewsroanoke.infi.net.
LENGTH: Long : 110 linesby CNB