Heat Exhaustion or Heat Stroke?

 How to recognise the symptoms and what to do?

I know that in the UK we don’t often experience heat exhaustion   and  it is usually something we come across if we take  holidays in hot countries, but who knows? Given global warming we just might be in for a scorching hot summer.  So how do we recognise heat exhaustion and what is the difference between this and heat stroke?  This is a question that we often get asked on our Safe and Sound First Aid Courses. So what kind of first aid can we administer if we come across this?

 Heat Exhaustion

 Heat exhaustion is the body’s reaction to loss of water and body salts through excessive sweating.  A typical episode would be if someone begins to feel poorly in the late afternoon or early evening after exercising in very hot weather all day.

Heat exhaustion occurs when the core body temperature rises above 38″C.  If the problem is not treated it can quickly lead to heat stroke

Possible signs and symptoms include:

  • Confusion, dizziness
  • Loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach cramps
  • Pale, sweaty skin
  • The person may say they ‘feel cold’ but they will be hot to touch

 Treatment for Heat Exhaustion

  • Move the person to a cool shaded area. Remove excessive clothing and lay them down
  • Give the them water to re-hydrate them. Oral rehydration solutions such as Dioralyte or isotonic drinks are best as they also replace lost body salts (if giving to someone else’s children read the label and get consent from patents)  Ice lollies or jelly are other options if dealing with a child who won’t drink fluids.
  • Obtain medical advice, even if the person recovers quickly.

Heat stroke

Heat stroke is a very serious condition and results in failure of the temperature control area of the brain.  The sweating mechanism fails, the body is unable to cool down and the body temperature can reach dangerously high levels (over 40″C).

Possible signs and symptoms include: 

  • Severe confusion and restlessness. Lowered levels of consciousness, possible of fitting
  • Flushed, hot dry skin (no sweating)
  • Throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, vomiting.

Treatment of heat stroke

  • Move the person to a cool, shaded area. Raise and support their legs to improve blood flow to the brain
  • Call 999/112 for emergency help
  • Remove outer clothing and wrap them in a cold, damp sheet until their body temperature starts to fall. Keep the sheet wet by continually pouring cold water over it. If you don’t have a sheet, you can sponge them with cold water or fan them to bring down their temperature. When their temperature falls to normal levels, then replace with a dry sheet. Take care not to over-cool.
  • If they start to fit, treat them as you would a person fitting or a child having a febrile convulsion.