Heat exhaustion

Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness characterized by the body's inability to effectively cool itself, typically occurring in high ambient temperatures or during intense physical exertion.

Symptoms include profuse sweating, weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, and lowered blood pressure, resulting from dehydration and serum electrolyte depletion.

Children, older adults, and individuals with certain pre-existing health conditions are more susceptible to heat exhaustion due to their reduced ability to regulate core body temperature.

[1][2][3] Prevention strategies include wearing loose and lightweight clothing, avoiding strenuous activity in extreme heat, maintaining adequate hydration, and gradually acclimatizing to hot conditions.

Heat syncope, also referred to as exercise-associated collapse, is a moderate form of heat-related illness characterized by a temporary loss of consciousness.

One of the earliest indicators of heat stroke is altered mental status, which can manifest as delirium, confusion, reduced alertness, loss of consciousness, etc.

However, the contribution of intense physical exertion and high ambient temperatures to serum electrolyte depletion in the absence of significant dehydration has been contested by more recent research, which proposes an alternative theory.

This inflammatory cascade can result in multi-organ dysfunction, potentially leading to:[10][11][12][15] There is increasing evidence linking higher temperatures to a variety of diseases and disorders as well as elevated mortality and morbidity rates.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects that temperatures will rise by up to 1.5 °C in the future due to ongoing greenhouse gas emissions.

As this trend continues, populations with greater susceptibility to heat exhaustion, such as children, older adults, and individuals with chronic diseases, are at an increased risk.

Treatment options may include discontinuation of the medication, a dose adjustment, a drug substitution to a different drug-class, adaptation to new behavioral and environmental changes, or the addition of another agent that can counteract the side effects.

[23] Thermoregulatory dysfunction only worsens the ability for children to fight heat exhaustion because it leads to decreased sweat capabilities and increased core temperature response.

[24] Similar to that of adults, the best way to combat and prevent heat exhaustion in children is to properly condition prior to exercise exertion, hydrate, allow for temperature adjustment, and clothe accordingly.

According to the CDC, a typical trait indicating a person is having a heat stroke is when their body temperature reaches 104 °F or higher in a span of 10 to 15 minutes.

[39] In addition to a high body temperature, they will also experience central nervous system dysfunction such as alteration in their mental status and slurred speech.

[41] If a person is experiencing a heat stroke and is not properly treated, that can further progress to metabolic abnormalities, irreversible damage to multiple organs in the body, and death as a result.