Others
Heat Exhaustion
This condition often occurs when people exercise (work or play) in a hot, humid place and body fluids are lost through sweating, causing the body to overheat. The person’s temperature may be elevated, but not above 104°F. Heat exhaustion is a milder form of heat-related illness that can develop after several days of exposure to high temperatures and inadequate or unbalanced replacement of fluids. Those most prone to heat exhaustion are elderly people, people with high blood pressure, and people working or exercising in a hot environment.
Heat exhaustion is one of the heat-related syndromes, which range in severity from mild heat cramps to heat exhaustion to potentially life-threatening heatstroke. Signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion often begin suddenly, sometimes after excessive exercise, heavy perspiration and inadequate fluid intake. Heat exhaustion occurs when your body gets too hot. The body’s core temperature is controlled by the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that also controls thirst and hunger. Normally, the body gets rid of excess heat by sweating. But if you are exposed to high temperatures (working outdoors in the summer, for example) for a long time and don’t replace the fluids you lose, the body systems that regulate temperature become overwhelmed.
Symptoms: If it appears to be a simple case of heat exhaustion, try giving the person fluids and moving them to a cool environment. Douse them in cold water and have them rest.. If symptoms persist for longer than 20 minutes, seek medical attention. Having heat exhaustion or heatstroke makes you more sensitive to hot conditions for about a week afterwards. Be especially careful not to exercise too hard, and avoid hot weather. Ask your doctor to tell you when it is safe to return to your normal activities. Evaporation of the sweat furthers cooling, since this endothermic process draws yet more heat from the body. When the body becomes sufficiently dehydrated to prevent the production of sweat this avenue of heat reduction is closed. When the body is no longer capable of sweating core temperature begins to rise swiftly.
