Lake Health provides Polar Life Pods to protect high school athletes
MENTOR, Ohio -- Rigorous exercise in sweltering summer temperatures can make young athletes vulnerable to heat stroke or heat exhaustion.
To help protect athletes from potentially fatal heat dangers, Lake Health has purchased Polar Life Pods for all 12 high schools in Lake County.
Resembling a hooded sleeping bag, the Polar Life Pod is a portable, collapsible immersion system that facilitates the rapid cooling of athletes experiencing heat exhaustion, heat stress and heat stroke.
"By purchasing these systems, we can protect young athletes from heat-related illness," said John Smith, director of sports medicine at Lake Health.
A heat stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body's capacity to dissipate heat is compromised and core temperature becomes dangerously high. Symptoms include hot and dry skin, lack of sweat, confusion, slurred speech, nausea and irrational behavior.
A heat stroke is 100 percent survivable when the affected person's temperature is brought under 102* degrees within 30 minutes of collapse.
Nearly every year there are reports of serious heat illness or sudden death in student-athletes during summer practices. Football players, outfitted with bulky pads and helmets, are especially susceptible to the effects of heat.
Polar Life Pod manufacturer Polar Products Inc. donated one system to the Lake Health Race Series and provided 12 cooling vests for athletes who are not in a heat emergency.
The company also allowed Lake Health to purchase the Polar Life Pods at a significant discount.
Research shows cold-water immersion is the most effective way to cool down athletes after strenuous activity or overexposure to the heat.
Previously, as part of Lake Health's Pools for Schools initiative, athletic trainers filled wading pools with cold water and placed them in a shady area close to the sideline. When necessary, football players could immerse themselves in the pools to cool off.
"The Polar Life Pods are an improvement over the pools we used because they are portable and can be set up quickly. Plus, they require only 30 to 60 gallons of water and enable us to fully immerse athletes up to seven feet tall and weighing up to 400 pounds," explained Smith.
According to Brian J. Juriga, co-medical director of sports medicine at Lake Health, even highly-conditioned athletes can become victims of heat stroke if they don't take special precautions when exercising in hot, humid weather.
"Heat stroke can be prevented in the first place through good policies. Athletes can protect themselves through adequate hydration, acclimatization when necessary, early practices and competitions and breathable clothing," said Dr. Juriga. "When they become overheated, cold-water immersion is lifesaving."
Article and video sources from WKYC's website: http://www.wkyc.com/story/news/local/lake-county/2015/09/02/lake-health-heat-stroke-polar-life-pods/71581910/
*Correction from article: the person's temperature must be brought down below 102 degrees, not 104 degrees.
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| Learn more at www.polarlifepod.com |
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