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.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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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.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement