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Heat illness is a spectrum of disorders due to increased body temperature. It can be caused by either environmental conditions or by exertion. It includes minor conditions such as heat cramps, heat syncope, and heat exhaustion as well as the more severe condition known as heat stroke. [1] It can affect any or all anatomical systems. [2]
First, keep an eye out for symptoms of heat exhaustion or other illnesses. “If somebody starts feeling light-headed, dizzy, nausea or headache, that is the time to act immediately,” Linden said.
Heat exhaustion is more common than heat stroke and can lead to heat stroke, which is a more serious medical emergency that presents risks to one's life and organ function.
Heat stroke is an acute temperature elevation caused by exposure to excessive heat, or combination of heat and humidity, that overwhelms the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body. The latter is a relatively rare side effect of many drugs, particularly those that affect the central nervous system .
Heatstrokes can cause severe symptoms, including changes in mental status, coma and seizures.A milder form of heat-related illness, known as heat exhaustion, can cause headache, nausea or dizziness.
Symptoms can be reduced by staying in a cool environment. Drinking more fluids, especially if the person is sweating excessively, may help. Cooling vests can be used as a preventative tool to reduce a person's body temperature or when symptoms present to feel more comfortable.
Unlike heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat syncope do not have systemic effects. Heat exhaustion is a precursor to heat stroke, a severe form of heat-related illness. Heat stroke is more likely than heat exhaustion to cause palor, hot and dry skin, syncope, and dysfunction of the central nervous system (e.g., altered mental status, loss of ...
How do you deal with extreme body heat? Arizona ER doctors offer insights on what extreme heat temperatures do to the human body. ER doctors weigh in on what extreme heat does to the body