OT:Question for the medically trained members

When I was kid and I'd mow grass, my face would get red. It didn't affect me at all.

Now that I'm 63, I mowed our grass Saturday and my face was as red as it's ever been. As bright red as any apple I've ever seen. The temps were in the 80s, yes I'm over weight. I felt like I was dying, I was so exhausted. Took a cold shower to cool off, but it really didn't help.

What causes this? Is it heat exhaustion, super high blood pressure? I really don't know, any thoughts, and I know you can't DX me, just thoughts on the most probable reasons.
It really scared me!
Thanks!

Thanks Djin,
I see my Onco every two months and my PCP twice a year.

Believe me I did, I was stopping towards the end about every five minutes and sucking down H2O.

Sounds like you think it might be a function of BP. And I'm fine with checking in with doc, just a matter of getting in to the MD in a timely fashion. I had a stress test 2 years ago, and an echo cardio gram a year ago.
No docs got excited either time.

It just seemed strange that it was just my head that was red, the rest of the white whale was still all beluga white. lol!!

In AZ when the temps get hot we have to watch out for Heat Exhaustion. It can come on very quickly, certainly if you are overweight. The symptoms are a flushed face, you stop sweating and sometimes get dizzy. Without a cooling off period and rehydration you can pass out and die from it. When younger, I could work outside for hours in the heat, now 80 degrees gets to me quickly. I know the symptoms and know when to stop and go inside. If planning any outside work, you need to be well hydrated. This could be what you experienced, but blood pressure could also be in the picture. My best to all.
Jack

I love you mattam, but $10 bucks down in Topeka won't get you your nose hairs trimmed.
We're at a minimum of $50 down here in the great suburbs of Topeka.

Those prices are kind of obscene, unless it's a huge yard. My brother and I used to mow pretty big lawns for $1.50 when were young teenagers, and that was with an old fashioned reel push mower. Here in our town, I'm pretty sure I could find a kid to mow our small yard for $25, but I'm lucky to have two grandsons just blocks away who would do it for free (though I'd pay them, of course). I'm still doing my own mowing, but I may be just a year or two away from handing off the mowing chores to them.

Well, I now live in a Home Owner's Association where mowing my small yard is part of my dues so I haven't owned a mower in years. But I must say that Clocknut must have been a better businessman than I was. He got $1.50 per yard; I only got $1.00.

Jim

Sounds like heat exhaustion. Try drinking before, and consider doing portions of the lawn on seperate days.

I doubt any of the kids around me know what a lawnmower is, either the parents do it or they have lawn service or their lawns are shambles and they mow the weed patch once a month.

I mow early in the morning on weekends or late evenings, takes me about 45 minutes.

I sealed my driveway on year and it was hot, was drinking a lot of water that morning and was glad when I finished, took a long cool shower once done.

I shared this with my wife who is a nurse and her vote is “heat exhaustion” although she was a little puzzled by the fact that your face would get red while cutting the grass as a youth. For me I find I have to take more time cutting our grass than when I was younger especially the first few times of the year getting my lawn mowing muscles acclimated. In any event don’t overdo it. Stay safe. Terry

Generally the heat illness symptoms go like this:

Heat exhaustion: Profuse sweating, cold, clammy skin, nausea, weakness.
Heat Stroke: Sweating stops, skin very warm, red, body temp skyrockets.

In your case, I'm curious, what is your ethnic background? The redness may be a form of rosacea that comes on under physical exertion. It's particularly common in those fair skinned people from Northern Europe/Scandinavia. I used to get a very red forehead under those states, it still can happen today. My dad and my brother had/have the same situation.