Heat Stroke

Overheating your body can lead to a serious condition called heatstroke. This usually happens when you're outside in very hot weather or exercising intensely in hot conditions for a prolonged period. Your body's temperature can climb to dangerous levels, potentially reaching 104 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius) or higher. This is a more severe form of heat injury, and it's most common during the summer months.

Heatstroke requires immediate medical attention. If not treated promptly, heatstroke can harm vital organs like the brain, heart, kidneys, and muscles. The longer you wait to get help, the more damage occurs, increasing the chance of severe complications or even death. It's crucial to seek emergency care if you suspect someone is experiencing heatstroke.

Heatstroke is a serious condition caused by your body overheating. It's important to know the signs and how to react.

Heatstroke Symptoms:

• High Body Temperature: The most important sign is a very high body temperature. This means a core temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher. Your body's internal thermometer is over-heating.

• Changes in Thinking and Behavior: Heatstroke can affect how you think and act. You might feel confused, restless, or agitated. Other signs include slurred speech, irritability, delirium (a confused state of mind), seizures (uncontrolled muscle spasms), and even coma (loss of consciousness).

• Sweating Changes: Heatstroke can affect how much you sweat. In heatstroke caused by hot weather, your skin might feel hot and dry. However, if heatstroke is caused by strenuous activity, you might sweat a lot. This is a confusing symptom because it can look different depending on the cause.

• Nausea and Vomiting: Heatstroke can make you feel sick to your stomach or cause vomiting.

• Flushed Skin: As your body temperature rises, your skin might turn red. This is a visible sign of overheating.

• Fast Breathing: Your breathing may become rapid and shallow.

• Fast Heartbeat: Your heart beats faster to try and cool your body down. This extra work puts a strain on your heart.

• Headache: A headache can be a symptom of heatstroke.

What to Do If You Suspect Heatstroke:

If you think someone has heatstroke, immediately call 911 or your local emergency number. Time is crucial. While waiting for help, take steps to cool the person down:

1. Move to a Cool Place: Get the person into the shade or indoors.

2. Remove Excess Clothing: Take off any extra clothes that are making them hotter.

3. Cool the Person Down: Use any available method to cool the body quickly. This includes:

   • Cool Water: Put the person in a cool bath or shower, or spray them with a garden hose.
   • Sponging: Sponge them with cool water.
   • Fans and Misting: Use a fan and mist cool water over them.
   • Ice Packs/Towels: Place ice packs or cold, wet towels on their head, neck, armpits, and groin. These areas have lots of blood vessels, so cooling them quickly helps the whole body cool down faster.

These steps will help reduce their body temperature and their symptoms until emergency medical help arrives.

If someone is showing signs of heatstroke, call emergency services right away. That's 911 or your local equivalent. While waiting for help to arrive, start cooling the person down immediately.

First, get them into a cool place, like the shade or inside a building. Take off any extra clothes.

Next, use whatever you can find to cool them down. This could include:

• A cool bath or shower: Submerging them in cool water is very effective.
• A garden hose: A steady stream of cool water can help lower their body temperature.
• A sponge: Use cool water to sponge the person's skin.
• A fan and misting: Combining a fan with a mist of cool water helps with evaporative cooling.
• Ice packs or cold, wet cloths: Place these on the person's head, neck, armpits, and groin. These areas are important for regulating body temperature.

Remember, quick action is crucial when someone is experiencing heatstroke. Every minute counts.

Heatstroke happens when your body's temperature gets too high. There are two main types.

Non-exertional (or classic) heatstroke happens when you spend a long time in a hot, humid environment. This is like being in a sauna or very hot, humid weather for hours. Your body can't cool down quickly enough, and your core temperature rises. Older adults and people with other health problems are more at risk because their bodies might not regulate temperature as effectively.

Exertional heatstroke happens when you're doing intense physical activity in hot weather. Think of running a marathon on a scorching day or working outside in extreme heat. Your body produces a lot of heat during exercise, and if you aren't used to the heat, or if you aren't drinking enough fluids, your body can't cool down fast enough. Anyone can get exertional heatstroke, but those who are not accustomed to exercising in hot weather are more vulnerable.

Both types of heatstroke can be made worse by several factors:

• Heavy clothing: If you're wearing clothes that don't allow your sweat to evaporate, your body can't cool down properly. Think of wearing many layers of thick clothing in hot weather.

• Alcohol: Alcohol can interfere with your body's natural temperature control system, making it harder to stay cool.

• Dehydration: Sweating is your body's way of cooling down. If you don't drink enough water to replace the fluids you lose through sweat, your body becomes dehydrated, and you're more likely to overheat.

Heatstroke can happen to anyone, but some things make it more likely. Understanding these risk factors can help you stay safe during hot weather.

Age: Your body's ability to handle extreme heat depends on how well your nervous system works. Young children's nervous systems aren't fully developed, and older adults' systems may not respond as quickly to temperature changes. Both groups often have trouble staying hydrated, which further increases the risk.

Physical Activity in Hot Weather: Exercising or training in hot conditions, like playing football or running long distances, significantly raises your risk of heatstroke.

Sudden Changes in Temperature: A rapid increase in temperature, like a sudden heat wave or traveling to a much hotter climate, can make you more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. It takes time for your body to adjust to a new temperature. Give yourself at least a few days to acclimate before resuming strenuous activity, but even after several weeks, you might still be at higher risk until you get used to the higher temperatures.

Lack of Air Conditioning: While fans can offer some relief, air conditioning is crucial for cooling down and reducing humidity, especially during prolonged heat waves. If you don't have access to air conditioning, take extra precautions.

Certain Medications: Some medicines can interfere with your body's ability to stay hydrated and regulate its temperature. Be especially cautious if you're taking medications that constrict blood vessels (vasoconstrictors), lower blood pressure (beta-blockers), remove water and sodium from your body (diuretics), or treat mental health conditions (antidepressants or antipsychotics). Stimulants, like those for ADHD or illegal stimulants like amphetamines and cocaine, also increase your risk.

Underlying Health Conditions: Having chronic health problems, such as heart or lung disease, can make you more vulnerable to heatstroke. Being overweight, inactive, or having had heatstroke before also raises your risk.

In short, if you're at higher risk due to any of these factors, take extra steps to stay cool and hydrated during hot weather. This includes limiting strenuous activity, staying indoors during the hottest parts of the day, and drinking plenty of fluids.

High body temperature, or heatstroke, can lead to serious problems, depending on how long it lasts. These problems can include damage to important organs in your body.

If your body temperature stays high for too long without being quickly lowered, your brain or other vital organs might swell. This swelling can cause permanent damage.

Heatstroke can also be deadly if not treated promptly and effectively.