That's My Story

This might be a popular way to "hydrate" while in Baja, but it's not the best way to keep liquid in your system and can lead to other problems besides a hangover.

DUDE…I DON’T FEEL SO GREAT…

Originally published the week of Sept. 27, 2010 in Western Outdoor News

It can happen so fast.

            The last time I saw it happen, I wasn’t even sure what I was seeing.  One moment, the guy was sitting on the terrace of our bar here in La Paz enjoying the afternoon sunshine and another cold beer and in a nano-second it suddenly changed.

            I saw the guy smiling and laughing and the next, he simply tipped over.  Like someone threw the switch. Lights out.  Chair went over.  He hit the floor.

            The next few seconds were pandemonium.  People scrambling all over.  I heard “heart attack”…”give him air”…”get an ambulance”…”the guy is out”…”someone help my husband…”

            I looked through the melee of people and all the instruction giving.  At times like that it’s a bit like herding cats.  Everyone in panic mode.  Everyone is a doctor.  People actually arguing while a guy is flat out on the floor. The wife is wailing.  She has no clue.  They’re in a foreign country and she’s not being much help either.

            Then, the guy just sits up.  Just like that.

             Kinda woozy, but grinning. “C’mon, man…” He’s pushing people away from him.  Why are you all lookin’ at me? He’s puzzled.  “What am I doing on the floor?”

            We try to keep him down and comfortable. Call the paramedics anyway.  He doesn’t want all this fuss.  Just wants to get up and get another beer.  “I’m on vacation, man!”

            But the place collectively ramps down and breathes and sighs. None larger than my wife and I since we own the place, but deep inside we suspected the problem.

            It happens quite often actually.  More than folks know.

            Call it heatstroke.  Sunstroke.  Heat exhaustion.  Whatever.  It can be pretty serious and can disguise itself pretty well.  Just this morning when we were putting out our fishermen and one guy thought he was coming down with the flu that night…

            “I was chilly and my head hurt and I was aching. My stomach was upset and I was shaking so much we turned off the air-conditioner in the hotel room.” 

            Fortunately, his buddy (who works out alot)   fed him some gatorades and water and a good night’s rest he was fine.  But both had spent the previous day fishing all day in the hot Baja sun pulling on fish.  They thought they had drank enough waters, but on afterthought figured they must have been de-hydrated.

            Two weeks ago, some of our fishing clients ate at a restaurant and complained of “food poisoning” late that night.  I got called to their hotel room.

            I’m no doctor, but food poisoning usually seems to kick-in 3 to 6 hours after eating.  The both said that they went to town for dinner came back to the hotel and went to bed exhausted right away already feeling badly.

            They had fished hard all day.  It was clear from the blazing sunburns on their shoulders and the “racoon” pattern on their faces that they had only worn sunglasses on their heads…no hats involved.   They admitted to having drunk only one or two small bottles of water, but quite a few beers.  The only food all day had been some tacos they had just eaten and a bag of chips while they were fishing.

            I had some Pedilite (given to kids when they have the “runs” to replace fluids) and Gatorade and told them to drink some and see how they felt in an hour before I called the hotel doctor about food poisoning.  An hour later, they were much better.

            “Heatstroke” is a real medical emergency and  can be extremely serious.  Basically,  the body can’t cool itself down fast enough through normal means such as dissipation through the skin or by perspiration.  You’re overheated, Bucky!  In hot conditions or under strenuous activity, e.g. fishing in the hot Baja sun, you’re wide open. 

            Symptoms can be deceiving and sound like so many other maladies…(hangover? heart attack?  bad tacos?)

• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• cramps and muscle aches
• dizziness
• weakness
• rapid pulse
• elevated temperature
• confusion
• difficulty breathing
• seizure

Caught early and recognized, it’s very treatable and very preventable.  Mostly it’s common sense. 

Get the person cooled down.  Shade.  Fan them to promote cooling and perspiration.  Liquids.  Ice packs under the armpits help too.

The best is prevention.  Stay as cool as possible. Hydrate!  Liquids with caffeine or alcohol actually help DE-HYDRATE you so take it easy.  Drink beverages that replace the electrolytes you’re losing out there in the sun.

The guy in our restaurant who fell over had traveled all day.  He was so excited about his trip that he didn’t eat.  He drank coffee on the plane.  He had lots of beer all day.  He had been sitting in the sun for several hours watching the ocean with buddies at our bar.  He was older.  He had not been drinking water.  Duh!

He got up and walked out helped by his wife, but he sure scared alot of people.

Read more:

http://www.medicinenet.com/heat_stroke/article.htm

_____________________________________

Jonathan Roldan has been the Baja Editor at Western Outdoor News since  2006.  He and his wife Jill live in La Paz and own the Tailhunter Fishing Fleet as well as run the Tailhunter Restaurant and FUBAR Cantina.  He can be reached directly at riplipboy@tailhunter-international.com  or through their website www.tailhunter-international.com