Poland health experts warn of heat‑stroke risks as temperatures soar

Polish medical specialists highlight the serious danger of heat‑stroke during the current heat wave. Dr Janusz Sokołowski, head of the emergency department at Wrocław University Hospital, explains that heat‑stroke is more than extreme overheating: internal body temperature rises above the body’s regulatory limits, causing protein damage, intestinal leakage and brain swelling. Symptoms include sudden cessation of sweating, dry hot skin, confusion, seizures and loss of consciousness, often requiring immediate airway protection and ventilation. He notes that deep‑body temperature is measured in the lower esophagus or rectum, not by skin thermometers, and that vulnerable groups such as the elderly, dehydrated or chronically ill patients can deteriorate at lower temperatures.

To reduce the risk of sleepless hot nights, practical advice includes keeping windows covered during the day, ventilating in the cooler early‑morning hours, increasing indoor humidity with damp towels or laundry, using breathable nightwear, taking lukewarm showers rather than cold, staying hydrated with moderate‑temperature drinks, and applying cool, damp cloths to the forehead, thighs and underarms. These measures aim to keep indoor environments tolerable and prevent the onset of heat‑stroke.