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Treatment is directed at making the affected person feel more comfortable, and, if possible, resolving the underlying cause of the heat intolerance. Symptoms can be reduced by staying in a cool environment. Drinking more fluids, especially if the person is sweating excessively, may help.
Heat stroke - Defined by a body temperature of greater than 40 °C (104 °F) due to environmental heat exposure with lack of thermoregulation. Symptoms include dry skin, rapid, strong pulse and dizziness. [7] Heat exhaustion - Can be a precursor of heatstroke; the symptoms include heavy sweating, rapid breathing and a fast, weak pulse.
Heat stroke is a clinical diagnosis, based on signs and symptoms. It is diagnosed based on an elevated core body temperature (usually above 40 degrees Celsius), a history of heat exposure or physical exertion, and neurologic dysfunction. [ 5 ]
Essentially, dehydration may lead to hyperthermia because overheating can alter your body’s normal temperature. (See more about your body's response to heat and what happens when you sweat here.) 5.
Alcohol also affects the temperature-regulating system in the brain, decreasing the body's ability to shiver and use energy that would normally aid the body in generating heat. [33] The overall effects of alcohol lead to a decrease in body temperature and a decreased ability to generate body heat in response to cold environments. [ 34 ]
In humans, hyperthermia is defined as a temperature greater than 37.5–38.3 °C (99.5–100.9 °F), depending on the reference used, that occurs without a change in the body's temperature set point. [3] [10] The normal human body temperature can be as high as 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) in the late afternoon. [2]
Other circumstances also affect the body's temperature. The core body temperature of an individual tends to have the lowest value in the second half of the sleep cycle; the lowest point, called the nadir, is one of the primary markers for circadian rhythms. The body temperature also changes when a person is hungry, sleepy, sick, or cold.
Hyperthermia is an elevation of body temperature over the temperature set point, due to either too much heat production or not enough heat loss. [ 1 ] [ 7 ] Hyperthermia is thus not considered fever. [ 7 ] : 103 [ 40 ] Hyperthermia should not be confused with hyperpyrexia (which is a very high fever).