6 Heat Stroke Symptoms You Need to Know, According to Experts
We’ve all said it jokingly on a
muggy summer day: “I’m going to have a heat stroke.” But the truth is, heat
stroke—and heat-related illnesses in general—can be a
potentially dangerous part of spending time outside in the summer.
Heat stroke is a heat-related
illness that occurs when the body can no longer regulate its temperature, according
to the CDC—that means the body temperature rises rapidly, its
sweating mechanism fails, and the body is ultimately unable to cool itself
down. “I think of heat stroke as [an] extreme reaction to being exposed to very
high temperatures,” Jazmine Sutton-Oliver, MD, who works in hospital medicine
at the Cleveland Clinic, tells Health. Of all heat-related
illnesses, which occur on a spectrum, heat stroke is on the more dangerous and
severe end. "Heat stroke is the end result on a spectrum that starts as
heat exposure," says Eric Goldberg, MD, an internal medicine physician at
NYU Langone Health. Some less severe heat-related illnesses include heat exhaustion and heat
cramps—both of which, if left untreated, can progress to heat
stroke.
When experiencing heat stroke, the
body's temperature can rise to 106 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in as little as
10-15 minutes. But sometimes, according to Dr. Sutton-Oliver, it can take days
of heat exposure for a person to have heat stroke (think: if you're on a long
camping trip).
Due to its severity, heat stroke can
cause death or permanent disability if emergency treatment isn't given at the
onset of symptoms—and those symptoms progress quickly. "Usually symptoms
start very mild, [then the illness] progresses," says Dr. Sutton-Oliver.
"The progression is, essentially, determined by how long you're exposed to
the heat." According to the CDC, the symptoms of heat stroke include:
- Confusion, slurred speech, altered mental status
- Hot, dry skin or profuse sweating
- Loss of consciousness (coma)
- Seizures
- Very high body temperature
But remember: Heat stroke is the
most severe heat-related illness, so the warning signs of other, lesser
heat-related illnesses are important here as well. Those include heat
exhaustion, the symptoms of which include nausea, headache, irritability,
thirst, dizziness, and decreased urine output; heat cramps, which are
essentially painful muscle spasms in the abdomen, arms, or legs; and heat rash,
a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating and exposure to hot weather, per
the CDC.
If you're around someone who seems
to be experiencing heat stroke, it's important to call for emergency medical
care immediately. While you wait for an ambulance to arrive, Dr. Sutton-Oliver
advises to look for shade. "Try to bring down the body temperature as
quickly as possible," she says. That means placing cold, wet cloths
or ice to the person's head, neck, armpits, and groin; and circulating air
around the ill person to speed cooling. In a hospital setting, Dr.
Sutton-Oliver says doctors will treat heat stroke patients with an IV and cold
compresses to bring the temperature down safely.
The good news: heat stroke is
completely avoidable—but it takes being aware of your surroundings and
listening to your body. When you're outside during the summer, remember to keep
track of how long you've been in the sun, wear light-colored and loose
clothing, drink ample amounts of water or sports drinks (especially if you're
working out), and take multiple shaded or inside breaks throughout the day.