Myotherapy Clinic and Wellness Center

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a disease of the myocardium (the muscle of the heart) in which a portion of the myocardium is hypertrophied (thickened) without any obvious cause. It is perhaps most well known as a leading cause of sudden cardiac death in young athletes. The occurrence of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is a significant cause of sudden unexpected cardiac death in any age group and as a cause of disabling cardiac symptoms. Younger people are likely to have a more severe form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

What We Need To Know

School is starting around the country, and that means many high school sports are as well. These sports – including football, cross country, soccer and field hockey – are some the most physically taxing sports, yet they are practiced and played before summer has ended. This increases the likelihood of heat-associated problems among athletes during these times.
According to experts at the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association, most of the heat problems have been associated with football due to the equipment and uniforms needed for the sport. When proper precautions aren’t taken, overheated athletes can become subject to heat cramps, heat syncope, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. According to Frederick Mueller, the head of University of North Carolina’s exercise and sport science department, heatstroke deaths are “100 percent preventable” if coaches maintain safe conditions, such as providing athletes with plenty of electrolyte rich water, allowing plenty of cool-off sessions during practice, and/or modifying practice lengths and exercises. It may be most important to realize that the majority of students today on the field do not have the diet that their mothers and fathers had. The fabric we have to work with is compromised. The students have a relatively poor diet across the board. The limited fruits and vegetables that students do eat are limited in electrolytes and minerals due to a couple of things. One being the necessity to pick the produce early and the other reason is that the soil is depleted of the trace minerals.

According to experts, heat exhaustion or heat stress can be defined as the overheating of the body due to excessive loss of water or simply put the lack of the ability to cool the cells within the body. Heat exhaustion is caused by prolonged exposure to hot temperatures, limited fluid and/or insufficient dietary salt intake. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

• Muscle cramps
• Intense thirst
• Excessive sweating
• Dizziness or faintness
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Slow, weak pulse
• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Possible nausea and vomiting

The experts at HCGHD state that heat stroke occurs when the body’s cooling system breaks down. Sweat glands often stop working and the body overheats. When body temperature exceeds 105 degrees, the brain and the organ tissues can begin to die. Ignoring heat exhaustion is a primary cause of heat stroke, but heat exhaustion symptoms are not always present before heat stroke sets in. Although loss of the ability to sweat is the prominent symptom of heat stroke, physically active people may still sweat lightly. Look for these symptoms in addition to lack of sweat:

• Hot, dry, flushed skin
• High body temperature
• Very rapid or very slow heartbeat
• Confusion or disorientation
• Loss of consciousness
• Seizure

It is important to note that physically active people are not immune to heat exhaustion and heat stroke during the summer months. Even if your child is active, these heat illnesses can quickly overcome him/her. To protect your child’s health when temperatures are extremely high, remind him/her to HYDRATE and use common sense. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the following tips are important:

• Drink plenty of fluid.
• Replace salt and minerals.
• Wear appropriate clothing and sunscreen.
• Don’t overdo it.
• Schedule outdoor activities carefully.
• Use a buddy system.
• Be especially careful if ill or on certain medications
• Adjust to the environment.
• Use common sense.