. "14. Subjective Reports of Heat Illness." Nutritional Needs in Hot Environments: Applications for Military Personnel in Field Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press, 1993.
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Nutritional Needs in Hot Environments: Applications for Military Personnel in Field Operations
TABLE 14-6 The 22 Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ) Items Constituting the Index of Subjective Heat Illness
ESQ Symptom No.
Description
1
Lightheaded
2
Headache
4
Dizzy
5
Faint
7
Coordination off
8
Short of breath
9
Hard to breathe
11
Heart beating fast
16
Muscle cramp
17
Stomach cramps
19
Weak
27
Constipated
30
Warm
33
Sweaty
38
Body parts numb
41
Vision blurry
52
Lost appetite
53
Sick
55
Thirsty
56
Tired
62
Irritable
63
Restless
post hoc tests (p < .05) of the means plotted in Figure 14-1 showed that (a) the two diet groups differed from one another only on the first 2 days of heat acclimation, with the 4-g salt group demonstrating significantly more heat illness, and (b) each group acclimated to the heat such that by the fourth day of heat acclimation the SHI had reached a level that did not differ from any of the succeeding days (that is, reduction in the SHI had reached asymptote).
Discussion
Many of the signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion reported by Armstrong et al. (1987) were also prominent in this study. The results of the present study indicate that, regardless of diet group, the predominant symptoms during heat acclimation are warmth, sweatiness, weakness, irritability and restlessness, and rapid heart beat. In addition, dizziness and disturbed coordination occur most often during the first 2 days of heat acclimation.
