Signs You Are Having Heat Exhaustion Or Heat Stroke

Hot weather and heatwave can affect anyone, but some people run a greater risk of serious harm such as older people and babies.

Our bodies strive to keep a core temperature of about 37°C whether we are in a snowstorm or a heatwave. That is the temperature at which our bodies have evolved to work.
But as the weather gets hotter, it is harder for the body to keep its core temperature down. It opens more blood vessels near the skin to lose heat to our surroundings and starts sweating.
At the same time, sweating leads to the loss of fluids and salt and, crucially, the balance between them in the body changes. As the sweat evaporates, it dramatically increases the heat lost from the skin.

> Heat exhaustion is the body’s response to an excessive loss of water and/or salt contained in sweat. It results from exposure to high heat or strenuous physical exercise.

The signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
-    headaches
-    having a raised body temperature
-    sweating heavily
-    fatigue, weakness, and restlessness
-    nausea and vomiting
-    weak, rapid pulse
-    poor coordination
-    anxiety

> Heatstroke is a severe illness where a person’s temperature is greater than 40°C, resulting from exposure to high heat or strenuous physical exercise.

The signs and symptoms of heatstroke include:
-    headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting and confusion
-    having flushed, hot and unusually dry skin
-    being extremely thirsty
-    having a dry, swollen tongue
-    having a sudden rise in body temperature to more than 40°C
-    being disoriented or delirious
-    slurred speech
-    being aggressive or behaving strangely
-    convulsions, seizures or coma.
-    may be sweating and skin may feel deceptively cool
-    rapid pulse

What to do if someone has heat exhaustion or heatstroke?
If you see someone you think has heat exhaustion, you should:
-    move them to a cool place
-    get them to lie down and raise their feet slightly
-    get them to drink plenty of water - sports or rehydration drinks are also OK
-    cool their skin - spray or sponge them with cool water and fan them. Cold packs around the armpits or neck are good too

If they can be cooled down within half an hour, then heat exhaustion is not normally serious.
However, if they do not recover within 30 minutes, then they are at risk of heatstroke. Call for medical emergency.

Source(s): BBC, SA Health