[060] Let's talk about the time I collapsed from heatstroke (Dedicate your heart!)

Apparently, the daytime high in Kyoto yesterday was 38°C.
That's quasi-COVID level. No, wait, what does it mean when it's higher than body temperature?

Recently, perhaps due to the heat, the internet at my home (Osaka) has been extremely poor, and I am currently pecking out this article on my 4G smartphone. It makes me want to cry. I can't watch videos, and of course, online games are out of the question...

Do something, Doraemon!

...Oh right, speaking of heat, I just remembered (suddenly).

Last summer, I collapsed from heatstroke (a mild case). A first in my life.

Hmm, shall we talk about that today? It's probably not just someone else's problem for you all either (consider it a warning that it could happen to you tomorrow).

Since I don't want it to be too gloomy a story, let's present it in the style of NHK's "General Practitioner Doctor G."

Doctor G: What brings you in today?

Patient J

I suddenly started feeling unwell... My body felt hot, I got dizzy, and I couldn't walk.

Doctor G: That must have been difficult for you. Could you tell me a little more about it?

Patient J

That day... I was having a late lunch with a friend at a newly opened restaurant near the Kyoto Imperial Palace.
I had been physically active in the morning, so we thought, 'We should have something cold to drink, maybe go for those lovely golden drinks with bubbles even in the middle of the day?' Hehe, I was in a great mood at the time. If the menu had several craft beers I don't usually see, it's impossible not to drink them, right, Doctor? After all, it was intensely hot outside, and my throat was parched.

Doctor G: I understand how you feel.

Friend O

It was a truly hot day. Ah, this is Kyoto, I thought. Oh, I'm not from Kyoto.
That day, yes, we were having beer in the middle of the day. But it was just one small bottle. Fortunately, I was fine afterward, but as we left the shop and were walking, she suddenly said, 'I'm dizzy...' Ah, I thought this might be heatstroke, so I hurried her to a nearby cafe.

Doctor G: It's good that your friend was with you. Um, and who is this?

Shop Clerk N

I'm a clerk at a cafe on Horikawa-dori. These people came into the shop, and after they finished ordering, the person with her went out for a moment. She bought Pocari Sweat and salt candies at a nearby convenience store. Ah, I realized she must have felt unwell from the heat. Her face was bright red. The shop wasn't that crowded, so I let her rest for a while. Yes, it was incredibly hot that day.

Patient J

Thanks to you, I feel much better. I've come back to life in this cool cafe.
After leaving the restaurant, I tried to walk through the Imperial Palace grounds to get to Horikawa-dori. I was using a parasol, but you know how the Imperial Palace is covered in white pebbles, right? That white sand reflects the sun from below, making the parasol completely useless... After that, I felt dizzy and stumbled. It became hard to breathe, too. For some reason, I happened to be wearing a long-sleeved dress that day, so I was sweating profusely and it was just so hot. I realized I couldn't keep walking, so I asked my friend, 'Could you wait a moment?'...

Friend O

Man, it's hard to decide whether or not to call an ambulance, isn't it... It still scares me even now. Thinking about what might have happened if it had been too late...

Doctor G: I see, I understand.

Doctor G: Now, residents, what is the diagnosis? You should know this by now, right? Everyone, say it together. Ready, go!

"Heatstroke."

Doctor G: Yes, that's right. Heatstroke. Everyone, what do you think was the biggest mistake?

"I think it was the alcohol consumption right before."

Doctor G: Exactly. After consuming alcohol, the diuretic effect makes you prone to dehydration. That increases the risk of heatstroke. In addition, the long-sleeved dress. It seems it was a spring item that didn't let air through and trapped the heat, which also worsened the situation.

Oh dear.
The fact that I was sleep-deprived and not in top physical condition that day was also one of the causes, Doctor... At a time like that, spending the whole morning under the scorching sun until my throat was parched -> consuming alcohol -> then walking in the scorching sun with the reflected heat... Was I, an idiot?

After calming down at the cafe, I went to the hospital properly. I'm really glad it didn't turn into a major incident. I had my friend accept an assortment of sweets as a thank you. From now on, let me call you my benefactor instead of my friend!

Everyone, please use this idiot as a cautionary tale and take care of yourselves this summer. Summer is still just beginning, and the city is only going to heat up more.

When spending time under the scorching sun, please be sure to keep alcohol consumption to a minimum.

Thank you for reading this page to the end!