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Trump’s Third Visit to Walter Reed This Year

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Trump’s Third Visit to Walter Reed This Year

Trump’s Third Visit to Walter Reed This Year

D. S. Mitchell

Experience

I was,  in my other life, a Registered Nurse. Over my 38 year career I spent 20 years in Crisis Psychiatry.  The symptoms of mental disorder I see in Trump are quite concerning. Quite flatly, Donald Trump is mentally ill. My observations are not political, but clinical. As a professional I see symptoms every day that Mr. Trump is deeply disturbed, both mentally and emotionally. I know, I am not alone in this belief.  There has long been a consensus among mental health professionals that President Trump is clearly mentally ill with severe symptoms of dementia. Trump’s not the only prez I’ve disliked for their policies.  But, never once, have I doubted a president’s mental capacity. No, not even old Joe Biden. Joe might have been slowing down, but he wasn’t erratic and downright crazy. And quite honestly, Trump has been caught more often than “Sleepy Joe”, taking a little nap, on the government dime.

Grave Danger

If  President Trump is as sick as I believe he is, his continued occupation of the White House is a minute by minute threat to our survival as a country.  His mental illness is a grave danger to the country we love. Caligula, Hitler, Stalin, come to mind. I am sure you would be peeing your pants if one of these mentally ill men had access to our country’s nuclear weapons.  Hell, yeah, you would be terrified. But, it goes beyond the nuclear codes. This guy wants to fight with everyone. Now bored with the Iran War and all the complaining he has decided to return his focus on Cuba. Continue reading

Joe Did, Trump Did . .

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Joe Did, Trump Did…

Joe Biden vs Donald Trump

 

 

Joe Did, Trump Did . . .

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel

 

Although I have made my position known on President Biden remarking, “Welcome home”, to Donald Trump, I don’t like it at all that Joe said that during Trump’s travesty of an inauguration. I feel strongly that you never say, “Welcome home”, to a traitor. I still have the utmost respect for Joe, and will always love him. “Welcome home” is a term of endearment and the comment I do feel was inappropriate to say the least, but despite the faux pas Biden will go down in history as one of our greatest presidents.

I can agree to disagree with those I care about on most subjects but “The Donald” is a bone of contention with me, not to mention the majority of his followers can not be reasoned with. Having made my position clear, please allow me to point out the extreme differences between President Biden and “The Donald”. As my husband would say, the difference between the two is like day and nightmare…

  1.  President Biden makes me smile. Trump makes we cry, shake my head in wonder, and at times laugh at his stupidity, because Dumpty has made America the laughing stock of the world.
  2. Joe Biden’s administration gave seniors insulin for $35; Trump took it away immediately after taking office.
  3. President Biden gave confidence to a young boy that stutters, showing compassion, and giving the youth his private phone number. Trump maliciously made fun of a disabled journalist and suggested his own disabled nephew “should be left to die.”
  4. Joe gave us our first female VP; Trump grabs them “by the p____”.
  5. Biden is responsible for the Violence Against Women Act; Trump has used violence against women.
  6. President Joe pardoned his son; “The Donald” pardoned those that participated in his insurrection.
  7. Joe prayed during his inauguration; Trump held a Bible upside down outside of a church he does not attend, then scribbled on God’s Word, selling made in China versions of the Good Book for $60, claiming every household should have a Bible. I agree that everyone needs access to God’s Word but if you can’t afford sixty bucks, you still deserve a Bible. Take note that the orange haired monster never said everyone should read the Bible – he admits he does not read books.
  8. Biden has not had any marital scandals; “The Donald” has committed adultery on many occasions and brags about it.
  9. Joe brought us beautiful Dr. Biden, an educated and beautiful First Lady of dignity and class; Trump brought us the only first “lady” with a staple in her navel and a history of naked pictures in cheap slut magazines.
  10. Joe built bridges with a much needed infrastructure plan; Donald continues to tout his unfinished racist wall.
  11. Joe Biden gave President Carter’s eulogy; Trump refused to allow flags at half-mast for Jimmy.
  12. Biden brought two adorable dogs and a cat to the White House; Champ and Major. Trump promoted trophy hunting and poked fun at pet owners.
  13. Joe Biden honored MLK, the man synonymous with peace; Trump is an avowed racist and violence supporter.
  14. President Biden wanted a path to citizenship for dreamers; Trump began mass deportation the first day back in office.
  15. Joe created jobs and unemployment was down in record numbers; the orange haired monster has already caused migrant workers to not show up for work.
  16. President Biden ended the pandemic, got us vaccines, reopened the economy, and gave the largest amount of stimulus. He rehired Dr. Fauci and now COVID is much less frightening and treatable. Trump refused to acknowledge or utilize the pandemic National Security Counsel Directorate for Global Health and Security and bio defense plan that the dishonest Mitch McConnell is trying to deny the existence of that the Obama administration put in place. Because of Trump millions died from COVID, not to mention many people have long term effects from the virus, and our economy is still suffering the effects of the pandemic.
  17. Biden works to end war and negotiates the safe return of hostages; the orange haired devil thrives on violence in any and every form.
  18. Joe and the Obama administration brought about much needed healthcare reform, providing insurance to millions; “The Donald” wants to end Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security- the life line for the middle and working classes. Medicaid pays for nearly all nursing home care for seniors AND on the other end of the scale and half of the births in the United States.
  19. President Biden is a champion for safe gun laws; Trump has the NRA in his pocket (or maybe vice versa…).
  20. Joe Biden signed into law the Social Security Fairness Act, protecting the money that teachers and first responders paid into the SSA. This legislation was originally proposed all the way back in September of 2022 – Biden got it done. Trump wants to rob seniors and the disabled of their funds. Joe Biden shows respect for the LGBTQ community; Trump on day one of his second term attacked trans individuals’ rights. amongst others.
  21. President Biden is a law abiding attorney; “The Donald” is convicted felon that belongs nowhere near the Oval Office. He should not be allowed to take so much as a White House tour – Trump belongs behind bars.
  22. Biden was never impeached; Trumpty Dumpty has the unique distinction of being impeached twice…so far.
  23. Joe fights racism and anti-Semitism, and has been doing so for decades; Trump is completely anti-Semetic and a racist to everyone that is not a rich white arch-conservative male.
  24. President Biden went into action immediately to control the recent wildfires that have wrecked havoc in southern California. Trump thinks windmills cause cancer and that global warming is a hoax. Science saves lives, let’s not forget it.

I plan on writing more about Trump’s atrocious mishandling of everything he touches and more about President Biden’s years of public service. I have just begun to resist…

Diagnosis: Diabetes

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Diagnosis: Diabetes

A diagnosis of diabetes can be a scary thing, but with life-style changes the condition can be improved, or even reversed. Patients do not need to face years of fear, guilt, and drugs.

Diabetes is a scary diagnosis. Make some life style changes and change the prognosis.

Diagnosis: Diabetes

By D.S. Mitchell

A Public Health Emergency

One in ten Americans is living with Type 2 diabetes; that’s approximately 38 millions people. Some might call that a public health emergency. With diabetes comes other life altering diseases; cardio-vascular disease, kidney failure (dialysis), stroke, neuropathy, blindness, and lower limb amputation.

Medical Treatment

Many diagnosed diabetics are on high doses of injectable insulin and multiple oral anti-diabetic medications. Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar out of the blood and into the body’s cells. With diabetes the body can’t manufacture the hormone (Type 1-sometimes called childhood diabetes) or the more common Type 2 diabetes, where the body becomes resistant to insulin’s effects. In both cases, insulin injections are the standard fallback treatment.

Change Your Tactics

It doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of accepting the “inevitable” some patients decide to implement strategic behavioral tactics that have shown to improve the condition and even reverse it. Said more simply, if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you can turn it around. What follows are seven behaviors that can make a difference in your life and your battle with diabetes.

  1. Lose Weight: Do not under estimate the impact of gaining, (or losing), even a few pounds. The physiology of diabetes causes the body to ineffectively regulate blood sugar levels because at the heart of diabetes is “insulin resistance.” With insulin resistance the pancreas is forced to manufacture more and more insulin in an effort to transport sugar from the blood to the cells. What is often misunderstood is that insulin whether manufactured in the body or taken as a medication promotes fat storage and weight gain. It becomes a vicious circle, gain a few pounds and the weight gain will force the body to produce more insulin which in turn causes more weight gain-and so it goes. The good news, however, is that even a 10% weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity by 60%.
  2. Keep Up Your Fluid Intake: Hydration is a pretty big deal, don’t ignore it. With dehydration comes a concentration of sugar in the blood.  Studies show that patients who drink less than a half liter of water per day increased their risk of elevated blood sugar compared with those who drank more. Water, milk, herbal tea all work. Caution for coffee lovers; caffeine is dehydrating, limit the intake to a maximum of three cups per day.
  3. Stay Vaccinated: Many believe that COVID is behind us. Well, for folks with immune suppression, over the age of sixty, obesity, and diabetes the threat remains serious. In fact, studies indicate that COVID damages the pancreas and causes system wide inflammation, which in turn increases insulin resistance. New studies link COVID to new cases of diabetes. If you are in one of the high risk groups get vaccinated and stay boosted. Vaccinations lead to milder cases of the disease which should indirectly result in decreased COVID impact on pre-existing diabetics.
  4. Increase Protein Intake: Protein at every meal, not just dinner. Protein maintains muscle and contributes to blood sugar regulation. Fill your plate with fish, white meat chicken, lean cuts of beef and plant based protein sources such as beans, nuts, quinoa.
  5. Bite-sized Bits of Activity: “Exercise snacking” means spreading short bursts of activity throughout the day. A fifteen minute walk, two or three times per day, may do more to help control blood sugar than one long workout. Remember the 10,000 steps recommendation? In that study there was a link between exercise and improved diabetes control. The goal is to mix various types of exercise. Schedule exercise periods for yourself each day. You might start the day with a fifteen minutes block of strength training, using weights, resistance bands and body-weight moves. Mid-morning do fifteen minutes of aerobic activity such as fast walking, swimming, jogging, or tennis. After lunch try fifteen minutes of stretching which improves joint flexibility, balance, and reduces chances of injury.
  6. Read Labels: Do not focus on sugars, but rather read labels for the “Total Carbohydrate.” This term incorporates both naturally occurring sugars and those added. Women should aim for 30-45 grams of total carbs per meal, and men 60 to 75. A typical reaction after hearing a diabetes diagnosis is to eliminate sugar and carbs. Such behavior can result in nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and dangerously low blood sugars. Consider talking to a Registered Dietitian and setting up a realistic eating plan. Many insurance plans pay for such training. Ignorance is not helpful, your quality of life depends on understanding how you can best help yourself.
  7. Finally: Losing weight, changing eating patterns, and exercising, are things that a newly diagnosed diabetic, or a long time diagnosed diabetic can do to reverse the disease. However, even with all those interventions, there may still be times when insulin and other diabetic medications have a role to play. Pregnancy is such a situation. Pregnancy frequently elevates the expectant mom’s typical blood sugars, just proving insulin has a secure place in the treatment of diabetes.

 

Home Care; My Personal Experience

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Home Care; My Personal Experience

Home Care Workers keep people with aging and disabilities in their homes

Home Care; My Personal Experience

Editor: Home Care programs administered through state and federal services are helping struggling families keep disabled family members living at home vs being placed in a nursing home. The following article is a reprint of an article written by me, nearly a decade ago. I will be publishing an update on the state of Home Care in 2023 sometime within the coming week.

By D. S. Mitchell

Caregiver Risks

Most of the people called on to help an ill or disabled family member have no training in being a caregiver. Not only that, but many spouses, sisters, brothers, sons and daughters have their own health problems and physical limitations. The risks of being a family caregiver is premature aging, sickness, death, depression, anger, resentment, and potential financial loss. Aside from that, it can be rewarding and more worthwhile than anything you will ever do.

Financial Resources Make the Difference

Receiving affordable or free home care may be what makes the difference between a family member being able to stay in their home or being moved into an assisted living facility or nursing home. One in five Americans provide unpaid care to family members so they can continue to live in their home, according to a recent AARP report.

Continue reading

Control Your B/P And Save Your Life

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Control Your Blood Pressure & Save Your Life

Untreated high blood pressure kills at least 400,000 Americans every year.

Control Your Blood Pressure And Save Your Life

Editor: This is an updated version of an article originally published 11/25/2017.

D. S. Mitchell

Silent Killer

I am a retired RN. As a result, I will often blog about health care, and health care news. Today I thought I would draw attention to the ‘silent killer,’ high blood pressure. It is known as the silent killer because there are no warning signs or symptoms  of the condition. Approximately 75 million adult Americans have high blood pressure. In 2016 the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reported high blood pressure as the primary cause for the death of 410,000 Americans.

Causes Of High Blood Pressure

High blood pressure occurs when our arteries become clogged with a waxy substance called plaque. Plaque forms due to a variety of reasons, most particularly these causes are defined as life style causes. There are of course hereditary factors at work, but for most modern adult Americans, high blood pressure is about life style choices.

Ignoring The Diagnosis Will Not Make It Go Away

The American Heart Association indicates that “while the incidence of high Blood pressure is way up from 10 years ago, and 46% of Americans know they have it, most refuse to do anything about it,” says Brion Oaks an AHA spokesman. Americans want to ignore the condition, often refusing to take B/P meds or make lifestyle changes.

Continue reading

Cannabis Cookies From Homemade RSO

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Cannabis Cookies From Homemade RSO

I got busy this morning and made 60 Cannabis Cookies with homemade RSO. My friends will be happy.

RSO Delivers Scrumptious Cannabis Edibles

By D. S. Mitchell

When visiting Oregon stop by a cannabis dispensary and check out all the forms of cannabis on the market. If you have time and are interested check out the ‘Pirates of Calamity’, on this website. Currently, the guys are doing a series on how to make kief, bubble hash, tincture, RSO, etc, etc. Possession of all of the above named forms of cannabis are legal in Oregon.

I do not make canna butter. I’m a good cook, but a lazy one, and I will never work that hard to make a batch of edibles. Whether it’s triple chocolate cookies, brownies, or my personal favorite, molasses cookies, I skip all that work and make most all of my cannabis edibles using RSO or edible tincture, mostly RSO, however. I usually pick it up from my local budtender.

So this morning with my homemade RSO (a very unfamiliar situation) sitting unused in a glass jar next to the coffee pot I decided to make molasses cookies for an assortment of associates. If anyone of you have used RSO in your food (many cancer patients) you already know how thick and sticky(!) it is. Quite honestly, it looks and behaves like tar.

There is no need to change your favorite cookie or brownie recipe to make it cannabis friendly. The only two things that are important to remember is that the RSO (or tincture) needs to be treated like an oil and that it needs to be liquified before adding to the recipe.

Begin your recipe prep as usual, when you get to the oil (butter, Crisco, lard ) you want to add your cannabis.  HOWEVER, to be able to do that you will need to liquify the RSO. Do not put RSO directly into the microwave (I’m assuming you have purchased a syringe (plastic or glass) of RSO from your local dispensary). Fill a microwaveable vessel with water. I personally use a Pyrex measuring cup. So, fill the cup with water and heat in microwave until you see the water boil. Sit the cup of boiling water in a safe place, on the counter and drop the syringe into the cup of hot water. Let the syringe remain in the hot water for at least a full minute; by that time the product should be liquid and easy to dispense into the butter (oil) portion of the recipe. Blend well, very well, scraping sides of bowl. Be sure to clean the beaters using a knife edge to make sure you’re not tossing out THC loaded dough or batter.

Happy cookie baking.

***As a reminder, DO NOT DRIVE after INGESTING CANNABIS IN ANY FORM. You will be DUI.

Transplant Patients Get New Hope

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New Hope For Transplant Patients

In a history making surgery and an amazing 61 days a pig kidney works normally inside a donated cadaver, raising hope for animal to human transplants

Pig Kidney Offers Hope For Dying Patients

A brain dead patient receives a pig’s kidney 

By D. S. Mitchell 

 

OHSU Transplant

As a young RN I worked at University Hospital, in Portland, Oregon. My first assignment was on the Transplant floor. Although it was many years ago, now, it was a great experience, helping those who would die without a donated organ. At that time we did kidney, liver, pancreas, and hearts. It is an amazing program extending life for 1,000’s of patients over the years. One of the hardest things for patient is the seemingly interminable wait if they don’t have a genetic match with a potential family donor. At least a 100,000  people are on the national waiting list, the majority need a kidney, and sadly thousands will die waiting for a donor.

New Hope On The Way

A history making experiment has been underway for the last two months in a New York hospital that offers promise to those waiting for a kidney donation. Xenotransplantation has for decades been nothing more than a dream. The problem is the human immune system, which immediately goes to work to kill the foreign animal tissue. With a new approach scientists are working with genetically modified pigs, so the pigs organs are more humanlike. Some research teams insist on pigs that have up to 10 genetic changes.  The transplant team led by Dr. Robert Montgomery, a heart transplant recipient himself, used in this study, is a pig kidney with only one genetic modification. Importantly, the single gene modification is the removal of a gene that triggers an immediate immune attack.

Maurice “Mo” Miller 

The human recipient, Maurice “Mo” Miller, had collapsed and was declared brain-dead, his family was unable to donate his organs because of cancer. His sister after much consideration chose to donate the the man’s body to the pig experiment. Dr. Montgomery gambled that he could keep Miller’s body on a ventilator for two months to test the transplanted pig kidney. On July 14, 2023, surgeons replaced Miller’s two kidneys with one pig kidney and the pig’s thymus. The thymus is a gland that “trains” immune cells. Two months later at the termination of the experiment, Miller was taken off the ventilator and prepared for cremation. The kidney was still performing perfectly.

The Future

The information gained from this study will be provided to the FDA in the hopes that xenotransplantation may soon be attempted on living humans. Experiments on the dead cannot be predictors of organ transplant success with living subjects. I see years of testing, but this amazing case gives us all hope that someday we will be able to transplant modified animal organs into living humans, saving lives, that would have ended too soon.

 

Commercial for “The Pirates of Calamity”

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Commercial For “The Pirates Of Calamity”

So, while the rest of us slept the guys were busy working on a commercial for their “Pirates of Calamity” weekly videocast, seen here on YouTube calamity politics channel. Be sure to let the guys know what you think of their efforts. You can also find the guys on calamitypolitics.com, Facebook, and X.

Hints To Cure Motion Sickness

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Hints To Cure Motion Sickness

If you have motion sickness you spend a lot of time with your head in a paper bag

Car Sick? Air Sick? Sea Sick?

Hints to Cure Motion Sickness

By D. S. Mitchell

Childhood Memories

OMG. When I was a kid, the worst words I could hear were, “Let’s go for a ride!” Don’t get me wrong, I loved going; going anywhere, it didn’t matter, I was a young adventurer. HOWEVER, I was also a kid with  motion sickness. It didn’t happen all the time, I think that was the worst part, never knowing whether I’d be happy and giggly, or a kid with her head in a paper bag.  My mom did not like me vomiting out the car window. It wasn’t just the car, sometimes it was on the deck of daddy’s boat, or there was that incredibly long plane ride to Hawaii. Oh, dear, the nice lady sitting next to me was very kind, and understanding. And, those damn 3D movies, there should be a warning label.

What Is Motion Sickness?

Motion sickness occurs when your brain gets conflicting messages: your eyes perceive forward motion but your inner ear feels the up and down motion of the car, plane, or boat. The experts say the brain then races to reset itself and that action causes the sick feeling. The nausea triggers the vagus nerve, which connects to the GI system, stimulating anything in the gut to come up.  Paper bag, please.

It Was All About The Ginger

Ginger is an herb that has been used for thousands of years for its many natural medicinal properties,  particularly its antiemetic qualities. When I was a kid that was about all there was, other than stopping the motion, and that wasn’t happening. What I seem to remember is mom grating up the herb and putting it in tea and having me drink it before we went on any road trips. Current studies indicate that ginger is an effective and inexpensive treatment for nausea and vomiting. Some studies suggest ginger works better on vomiting than the underlying nausea. Now days, ginger can be found in capsules and gummies and even tea.

Antihistamines

The same antihistamines used to treat allergies also reduce the symptoms of motion sickness. Numerous rounds of studies have shown that antihistamines can effectively alleviate motion sickness.  Recommendations include taking the medication 30 to 60 minutes prior to boarding the plane or boat, so you’ll have it in your system to squelch the vagal response. BUT they cause drowsiness. If sleep walking doesn’t bother you this may be your solution. I on the other hand cannot function in a “drugged” state. Benadryl and Dramamine are inexpensive and may work for you. Give it a try, the worst thing that will happen is you will take a nap.

It Works For Me

Acupressure wristbands are what I use. I am a great fan of acupuncture and acupressure is a variation of that ancient Chinese art.  When pressure is applied to certain points on the wrist and ear it alleviates stomach upset. Acupressure wristbands are available in most pharmacies and on Amazon. I’ve used them for years and they are fabulous. No unwanted sleepiness. The package will contain two bracelets, just slip them on your wrists and position the little plastic thing-a-bobs over the recommended points on your wrist per the directions.

 

Summer Heat Related Illnesses

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Summer Heat Related Illnesses

Heat is dangerous to human health. Here are a few tips to stay safe in high temperatures

Summer Heat Related Illnesses

How to Prevent and Treat

According to researchers, 65% of heat related deaths in the United States occur in July and August. The summer of 2023 is one of the hottest on record. Please read these tips and stay safe in the summer heat.

By D. S. Mitchell

Doing What Comes Naturally

Sweating is the principle means of cooling the human body. But temperatures as extreme as we are seeing in the summer of 2023 can quickly overwhelm our natural cooling system. Chronic health conditions, age, and medications, can impair the bodies effort to cool down naturally. For many experiencing  extreme heat a spectrum of problems can become progressively more serious and potentially life-threatening.

Sun Burn To Sun Poisoning

Bright sunshine can lead to sun poisoning, which is a severe sunburn that makes the individual feel sick and generally unwell. Excessive sweating under tight clothing can lead to heat rash, dehydration (the loss of fluid and electrolytes) can cause muscle cramps. Dehydration plus a rising body temperature can lead to heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion is characterized by fatigue, dizziness, nausea, headache, chills, and sometimes a racing heart. Ignoring these symptoms can be  extremely dangerous. There is always the danger of heat stroke which can lead to brain damage and even death.

PREVENTION

Protect Your Skin

Sunburns are both painful and they create havoc with the body’s ability to sweat. The body’s failure to sweat increases the risk of heat exhaustion and/or heat stroke. Apply sunscreen SPF 30 before going outside. Be sure to reapply the sunscreen at least every two hours. To prevent itchy, splotchy heat rash wear loose fitting clothes made from cotton or moisture wicking fabrics.

Sip Frequently

The fluid requirements vary from one individual to the next, by climate, and by activity. The CDC&P recommend when physically active in hot conditions individuals should drink one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes. Out in the heat for more than an hour, it is suggested that you switch to a sports drink, because its sodium helps replenish electrolytes.

Start Slow

The human body gradually builds exercise heat tolerance, which helps your body handle exercise in the hot, humid weather. This does not mean you should overdo. Be smart; stay hydrated and seek shade when you need to rest.

TREATMENT

Cool Off

If you suspect a person may be suffering from heat exhaustion, immediately get them into an air conditioned or shady location. Quickly cover as much of the skin surface as possible with ice or cold wet towels. If the person is able to co-operate help them get into an ice bath or a cold shower. Call 911 immediately if  the person is confused or vomiting. These could be signs of heat stroke.

Twitching Muscles

Cramping and twitching muscles can signal that a full-blown heat cramp is imminent.  Gentle stretching and massaging along with sips of a sports drink to restore needed electrolytes will reverse the cramping.

Meds Can Help

Over the counter Ibuprofen can help relieve the pain from heat rash, muscle cramps, and sunburn, as well as reduce inflammation and help lower the body temperature.