Heat stroke symptoms

Heat exhaustion is one of the heat-related syndromes. These syndromes range in severity and seriousness from mild to potentially life-threatening. Other types of heat-related illnesses include heat rash, heat cramps, heat syncope and heatstroke. Heat exhaustion can occur when your body loses too much water or salt — usually as a result of excessive sweating or dehydration. It can begin suddenly or happen over time, usually after working, exercising or playing in the heat. Heat exhaustion signs and symptoms include: • Cool, moist skin with goose bumps when in the heat • Heavy sweating • Faintness • Dizziness • Fatigue • Weak, rapid pulse • Low blood pressure upon standing • Muscle cramps • Nausea or vomiting • Headache • Extreme thirst • Mild confusion • Decreased urine output If you suspect heat exhaustion Untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke, which is a life-threatening condition. If you suspect heat exhaustion, take these steps immediately: • Move the person out of the heat and into a shady or air-conditioned place. • Lay the person down and elevate the legs and feet slightly. • Remove tight or heavy clothing. • Have the person sip chilled water, a decaffeinated sports drink containing electrolytes or other nonalcoholic beverage without caffeine. • Cool the person by spraying or sponging with cool water and fanning. • Monitor the person carefully. Contact a health care provider if signs or symptoms worsen or if the person doesn't improve after taking first-a...

Heatstroke is a life threatening medical emergency. It’s usually caused by being outdoors in extremely hot and humid weather, but it can also be caused by being in overheated indoor spaces. Heatstroke is the most serious type of heat injury that can occur. It’s caused by overheating of the body to a core temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher. There are two types of heatstroke: • Exertional heatstroke: This type of heatstroke is often caused by intense physical exertion that takes place outdoors during hot weather. • Nonexertional (classic) heatstroke: This type of heatstroke often affects older adults and people with chronic, underlying health conditions such as diabetes. Classic heatstroke may come on gradually over the course of several hours or days. When not treated promptly, heatstroke can cause serious damage to the internal organs of the body, including the brain. Untreated heatstroke can also be fatal. Read on to learn the symptoms and causes of heatstroke as well as prevention strategies and treatments. Heatstroke symptoms may come on rapidly or slowly. Heatstroke is always a medical emergency. Adults older than 65 and infants are particularly vulnerable to heatstroke. So are people who exercise or have physically demanding jobs that take place outdoors in hot, humid weather. However, anyone can get heatstroke, so it’s important to know the symptoms. Symptoms of heatstroke include: • running a high • excessive sweating or dry skin that doesn’t sweat (anhidrosis) •...

Diagnosis If you need medical attention due to heat exhaustion, the medical staff that may take your rectal temperature to confirm the diagnosis and rule out heatstroke. If your health care team suspects your heat exhaustion may have progressed to heatstroke, you could need further tests, including: • A blood test, to check for low blood sodium or potassium and the content of gases in your blood. • A urine test, to check the concentration and makeup of your urine. This test can also check your kidney function, which can be affected by heatstroke. • Muscle function tests, to check for rhabdomyolysis — serious damage to your muscle tissue. • X-rays and other imaging, to check for damage to your inner organs. Treatment In most cases, you can treat heat exhaustion yourself by doing the following: • Rest in a cool place. Getting into an air-conditioned building is best. If that's not an option, find a shady spot or sit in front of a fan. Rest on your back with your legs raised higher than your heart level. • Drink cool fluids. Stick to water or sports drinks. Don't drink any alcoholic beverages, which can add to dehydration. • Try cooling measures. If possible, take a cool shower, soak in a cool bath or put towels soaked in cool water on your skin. If you're outdoors and not near shelter, soaking in a cool pond or stream can help bring your temperature down. • Loosen clothing. Remove any unnecessary clothing and make sure your clothes are lightweight and nonbinding. If you don'...

Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options. How to recognize early heat stroke symptoms and cool your body down Facebook Icon The letter F. Facebook Email icon An envelope. It indicates the ability to send an email. Email Twitter icon A stylized bird with an open mouth, tweeting. Twitter Snapchat icon A ghost. Snapchat Fliboard icon A stylized letter F. Flipboard Pinterest icon The letter "P" styled to look like a thumbtack pin. Pinterest Link icon An image of a chain link. It symobilizes a website link url. Copy Link Read in app Heat stroke can occur when your core body temperature reaches 104°F or higher, and your body is unable to cool itself down. "This is one of those rare, true athletic emergencies," says Before someone experiences heat stroke, they will feel If heat exhaustion escalates to heat stroke, here's how you can recognize the symptoms and how to treat them. Quick tip: To tell the difference between heat illnesses, check out our guide to Heat stroke symptoms: 4 tell-tale signs Along with a • Mental confusion or slurred speech. When body temperature gets above 104°F, proteins in the brain can start to break down, which can trigger changes in mental status. "They will be very confused and no...

Claire Gillespie is a freelance writer specializing in mental health. She’s written for The Washington Post, Vice, Health, Women’s Health, SELF, The Huffington Post, and many more. Claire is passionate about raising awareness for mental health issues and helping people experiencing them not feel so alone. Heat stroke, the most serious heat-related illness, happens when body temperature gets out of control and the sweating process malfunctions. Usually, sweating cools the surface of the skin when the water in sweat evaporates. Without this, the body can't cool down, and body temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher within 10 to 15 minutes. Exertional heat stroke is more common in older children and teenage adults who take part in strenuous exercise during high temperatures and humidity. "The highest rate of heat illness in high school athletes is found among American football players, with a majority of these episodes occurring in August," Dr. Segura says. Sweating during hot weather can lead to dehydration because sweat loss exceeds fluid intake. Next on the spectrum is heat cramps. "You may or may not have had a heat rash to get to the heat cramps phase of the spectrum, but once you are at the point of heat cramps, the body has seen so much heat it is over sweating to try to manage the heat and the body begins to lose salts, fluids, and electrolytes," says Dr. Bravo. When you lose too much, the muscles start to cramp because they need liquid and electrolyt...

Maggie O’Neill is a health writer and reporter based in New York who specializes in covering medical research and emerging wellness trends, with a focus on cancer and addiction. Prior to her time at Health, her work appeared in the Observer, Good Housekeeping, CNN, and Vice. She was a fellow of the Association of Health Care Journalists’ 2020 class on Women’s Health Journalism and 2021 class on Cancer Reporting. In her spare time, she likes meditating, watching TikToks, and playing fetch with her dog, Finnegan. • Keep track of how long you have been in the sun. • Wear light-colored and loose clothing. • Do not leave children or pets unattended in a car. • Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 35. • Drink ample water or sports drinks, especially if you're working out. • Take multiple shaded or inside breaks throughout the day. • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. • Epstein Y, Yanovich R. N Engl J Med. 2019;380(25):2449-2459. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1810762 • Ramirez O, Malyshev Y, Sahni S. Cureus. 2018;10(12):e3724. doi:10.7759/cureus.3724 • American Society for Microbiology. • National Cancer Institute. • Morris A, Patel G. StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2023. • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. • American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is considered a medical emergency. If you suspect that someone has heat stroke -- also known as sunstroke -- call 911 immediately and give first aid until paramedics arrive. Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the Heat stroke often happens as a progression from milder heat-related illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures -- usually in combination with dehydration -- which leads to failure of the body's temperature control system. The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 F, with complications involving the What Are Symptoms of Heat Stroke? The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above 104 F. But Other symptoms may include: • Throbbing • Dizziness and light-headedness • Lack of sweating despite the heat • Red, hot, and dry skin • Muscle weakness or cramps • Nausea and vomiting • Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak • Rapid, shallow • Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or staggering • • Unconsciousness What First Aid Can Help Heat Stroke? If you suspect that someone has a heat stroke, immediately call 911 or take the person to a hospital. Any delay seeking medical help can be fatal. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate If possible, take the person's core body temperature and initiate first aid to cool it to 101 to 102 F. (...