Heat Exhaustion at Work

[The Batman]

So lately it's been getting hot and my job requires me to work outside all day pushing carts. I'm the type of person to get up and get ready at the last minute so not enough time for food or anything. But since I've been working there I've noticed that I start getting headaches, drowsiness, light headed, dizzy, and at times just feeling like I'm going to fall asleep where I stand. Later on I would always go and drink a lot of water but it would just make it worse and give me an upset stomach. I've never fainted or anything before so I really don't know if it really is Heat Exhaustion or something leading up to it. My question is what do you think it is and what are ways I can prevent it?

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Eat something before you go! If you're running back and forth a lot, especially out in the sun, you need fuel for that. Stock up on some snacks that you can easily grab on your way out of the house. Fruit, granola bars, drinkable yogurt, a hard-boiled egg, protein bars (just check the nutrition info to make sure it's not crazy high in calories or anything; Balance bars are pretty good, I think). Just get something in your system.

Also, don't wait until after your shift to start drinking water. Bring a water bottle with you, a take drinks here and there when you're thirsty. You won't get dehydrated so easily that way, which will help with most of your symptoms. That's also probably why you feel sick when you drink it. You're guzzling it, right? Because you're so thirsty? Downing a lot of water on an empty stomach, especially when you're low on fluids, could make anyone feel sick. That's one of the things I learned when I ran cross-country--don't just guzzle your water after exerting yourself or you will feel sick/maybe actually BE sick.

I don't know if this is heat exhaustion or not, but I'd start covering the basics and see how it goes. Fuel and water, keep em handy. If you don't naturally exercise this much, that could be part of it, too. Give your body some time to adjust to the work, it'll get easier.

[The Batman]

They are just now giving us ice cold water to drink while we are working and i bought a couple more cases of water to take to work so I'm trying to up my liquid consumption.

[MoveAlong]

My question is were you even sweating heavily? Or just getting dizzy and stuff?
I don't see how you can have heat exhaustion if you weren't sweating heavily.

Water is no substitute for food, because water doesn't have carbohydrates, and carbohydrates are the body's source of energy.

These symptoms (headaches, light headed, dizzy) can come from not having anything to eat in awhile.

They don't call breakfast "the most important meal of the day" for nothing. Your body has gone an entire night (however long that night was for you, 2-10 hours) without food. It needs the energy to start you off in the day and keep you going.

Doing an exhausting job like you have can take a lot out of you, too, and you need that food.

It could be heat exhaustion, or it may not be. But one thing's for sure: it'll be worse if you haven't had anything to eat.

Eat a pop tart on your way to work. Go to sleep earlier so you can get some food in you. Try making your breakfast before you sleep and put it in the fridge, so you can just heat it up and go in the morning. Do something, because fainting is not something that you want to do!

[The Batman]

I do sweat a lot mainly on my back but I also never eat breakfast like I said i usually just get up and go but fainting isn't something i want to do in a parking lot so I'll start trying to eat in the morning.