What Are Heat Cramps? Everything You Need to Know About Symptoms, Causes, and Treatments
As temperatures rise during the
summer, so do instances of heat-related illnesses. While they are often on a
spectrum of severity—with heat stroke as the most severe and heat rash labeled as less severe—it's still
important to know about any ailment you might fall victim to due to high
temperatures this season and what you can do about it.
What
are heat cramps?
Heat cramps are one of the less
severe heat-related illnesses, or medical issues that result from the body's
inability to adjust to hot temperatures, but they're still not something you
should ignore. "Heat cramps are painful, involuntary spasms of the muscle
that tend to occur during intense exercise in hot environments," a sports medicine doctor tells.
Because of their close association
with exercise, heat cramps are often termed "exercise-associated muscle
cramps," says an associate professor of family
medicine. That's because "they
don't always occur when an athlete is performing in warmer temperatures,"
she adds. Heat cramps are also common in workers and laborers who sweat a lot
during strenuous activity outside in the heat.
What
are the symptoms of heat cramps, and what do they feel like?
According to the NIOSH, the symptoms
of heat cramps are mainly muscle cramps, pain, or spasms in the abdomen, arms,
or legs. An emergency medicine doctor and professor of
emergency medicine, says those heat cramps feel like
a muscle spasm, or what's known as a charley horse.
Dr. Gardner notes heat cramps should
only involve only the skeletal muscles. “If there is involvement of any other
system in the body [like your chest], then medical care should be sought
immediately,” she explains.
Before the onset of full-on heat
cramps, there are often some momentary spasms of tightness, called
fasciculations. “If you do feel these, it is important to briefly rest and
rehydrate, which can prevent the progression to full cramps,” she points out.
When heat cramps occur, the muscles feel like they have “locked up” and can’t
be relaxed.
What
causes heat cramps?
Dr. Della-Giustina explains that
heat cramps usually occur when someone is performing strenuous activity in the
heat, after the individual has been active for some period of time—about 30-45
minutes, depending on their activity level. "It occurs in people who are
just hiking as well as those in more strenuous activities," he adds.
The NIOSH says heat cramps are
caused by a depletion of the body's salt and moisture levels, and low salt
levels in muscles can cause painful muscle cramps. Dr. Gardner also points out
that heat cramps are most common during pre-season workouts in athletes when
the body hasn't yet adjusted to the intensity of an activity or hot
temperatures. In addition to profuse sweating and inadequate replacement of
fluids and electrolytes, wearing extra layers of clothing or protective equipment,
which prevents efficient sweat evaporation and body cooling, can also put an
athlete at risk for heat cramps.
There are also medications,
supplements, and other substances that increase your risk of heat cramps,
according to a family medicine physician at Orlando Health. These
include certain blood pressure medications, caffeine, alcohol, some
anti-depressants, some allergy medications, and many illicit drugs.
How
can you prevent and treat heat cramps?
Thankfully, it's relatively easy to
prevent heat cramps—it can be as simple as maintaining balanced electrolyte and
hydration levels before, during, and after exercise. "Athletes must be
educated about the importance of this, and should be given time during training
for hydration breaks,” says Dr. Gardner. “Acclimatizing athletes to hot
weather, and undergoing exercise periodization, where the intensity and duration
of activity is gradually increased over days, both allow the body to better
adjust to the environment.”
Dr. Della-Giustina adds, "if
you are going to be active outdoors, eat food with salt as well as drinking
electrolyte solutions such as the sports drinks,” One pro-tip: You can dilute
your sports drinks with water for better results. "It is actually better
to be this way as it enhances absorption," says Dr. Della-Giustina.
And if you do start to experience
heat cramps, Dr. Della-Giustina recommends stopping whatever you're doing and
taking a rest. Then, do a little stretching and drink a solution that has some
electrolytes in it such as the sports drinks. That said, if the cramps do not
improve within an hour, you should seek medical care ASAP.