Summer Health
Below are a list of heat-related illnesses.
Heat Stroke
What To Look For
- High body temperature (103°F or higher)
- Hot, red, dry, or damp skin
- Fast, strong pulse
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Confusion
- Losing consciousness (passing out)
What To Do
- Call 911 right away-heat stroke is a medical emergency
- Move the person to a cooler place
- Help lower the person’s temperature with cool cloths or a cool bath
- Do not give the person anything to drink
Heat Exhaustion
What To Look For
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale, and clammy skin
- Fast, weak pulse
- Nausea or vomiting
- Muscle cramps
- Tiredness or weakness
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Fainting (passing out)
What To Do
- Move to a cool place
- Loosen your clothes
- Put cool, wet cloths on your body or take a cool bath
- Sip water
Get medical help right away if:
- You are throwing up
- Your symptoms get worse
- Your symptoms last longer than 1 hour
Heat Cramps
What To Look For
- Heavy sweating during intense exercise
- Muscle pain or spasms
What To Do
- Stop physical activity and move to a cool place
- Drink water or a sports drink
- Wait for cramps to go away before you do any more physical activity
Get medical help right away if:
- Cramps last longer than 1 hour
- You’re on a low-sodium diet
- You have heart problems
Sunburn
What To Look For
- Painful, red, and warm skin
- Blisters on the skin
What To Do
- Stay out of the sun until your sunburn heals
- Put cool cloths on sunburned areas or take a cool bath
- Put moisturizing lotion on sunburned areas
- Do not break blisters
Heat Rash
What To Look For
Red clusters of small blisters that look like pimples on the skin (usually on the neck, chest, groin, or in elbow creases)
- Stay in a cool, dry place
What To Do
- Keep the rash dry
- Use powder (like baby powder) to soothe the rash
Source (.pdf)