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Over 10,000 taken to hospital for heatstroke in one week for first time ever

13 Comments

The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said Tuesday that 11,672 people were taken to hospitals nationwide to be treated for heatstroke in the week from July 27 to Aug 2, the first time ever that the number of heatstroke patents has surpassed 10,000 in one week.

Tokyo had the highest number of heatstroke victims at 1,095, followed by Aichi with 989, Fuji TV reported. Three deaths in Aichi were attributed to heatstroke, bringing the total number of deaths from heatstroke to 25 nationwide so far this summer.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the scorching weather is expected to continue through the weekend.

Health ministry officials are urging people, especially the elderly, to drink plenty of water and use the air conditioner.

Last year, more than 50,000 people were taken to hospital to be treated for heat exhaustion between May and September, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

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13 Comments
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10,000 taken to hospital in a week-what a magnificent wage of resources for what could be so easily solved.....

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Health ministry officials are urging people, especially the elderly, to drink plenty of water and use the air conditioner.

Common sense, people

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Just FYI. Its not JUST hydration. You need electrolytes (salt, potassium, and magnesium). With out these electrolytes all the water in the world won't mater because your body needs electrolytes in order to utilize the water.

The sports drinks have (VERY) low amounts of electrolytes. They are better than nothing for sure, but loaded with sugar (around 75g of sugar!!!).

If you would like you can simply add a little extra salt to you food or even your water. Potassium can be found in bananas. Better yet find some "yasashio". It light salt product that cuts salt input by cutting it with potassium. I find this the easiest solution and use year it round. Salmon (and many other fish) have tons of potassium and magnesium. Nuts and spinach have lots magnesium.

You need around 3000mg of salt a day 2000mg minimum a day of potassium but around 4500mg a day is recommended the RDA recommends only 400mg of Magnesium a day.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The heat has been ridiculous the past 2 weeks. Much hotter than previous years.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I usually drink Pocari Sweat when out and about in the hottest times of the year. I also use a bit more salt from time to time. If the USA had a good sports drink, I would boast about it. But hey, Gatorade? High fructose corn syrup was in Gatorade where I would buy it. Sometimes the ingredients label had a different type of sugar, but Japan has it beat with Pocari Sweat. I'm a believer!

I've had years of training from the military about keeping hyrdated.

Too much water can flush out the electrolytes from your body, which can be harmful.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Disillusioned, it's not so much the elderly should know better having had years of experience with heat throughout their lives but that as you get older, the body doesn't cope as well as when you were younger, that they cannot produce enough sweat to cool off. Also, chronic medical problems and prescription medication can also alter their sense of temperature, high and low. So it's not that simple for them as you may believe.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Why don't people learn?!?!?!

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Japanese are not big water drinkers, especially the elderly. Add to that many elderly live in those small dark little wooden houses which have very poor insulation and ventilation and often no air conditioning. Often they have nobody to get them out to somewhere cool like the arcades or shopping malls maybe to frail to get there themselves.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It's a pretty crazy statistic really. Most of those affected are the elderly. You would think that, the elderly would have learned how to survive the extreme heat and humidity of Japanese summers over the 70 odd years of experiencing it. It's pretty simple really. Stay out of the sun during the hottest part of the day and if you have to go out keep hydrated. I usually jump from convenience store to department store to cool down. Then, on the other side of the coin, I have seen many people jogging at 2-3pm in the afternoon. That's just asking for death!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

i think it's all the AC being used here. people and kids spend all day in an air conditioned house and then step outside for a bit and bam, heatstroke. cut down on the AC, drink lots of fluids and you'll be alright.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

I'm currently in Okinawa. Hydrate or die.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

I am not surprised in the least. On the weekend near where I work it was over 40 degress and the local high school baseball team were running around the streets for what seemed like forever.......at 1pm (the hottest part of the day). Every single one of them looked as if they were going to faint.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

It's going to get FAR worse before it gets better. Take care, everyone. If you have kids, much as you might want the free babysitting, don't let them spend too long at school clubs/teams playing on the dirt fields at the peak of day. If you are in a place with an air-conditioner, please use it.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

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