Guide To Heat-Related Illnesses

Heat Stroke

Heat stroke is the most serious kind of heat-related illness and requires immediate emergency medical attention. If individuals don't treat heat stroke immediately, there could be damage to their muscles, kidneys, heart, and brain. This damage can be life-threatening or permanently disabling. Heat stroke occurs when an individual's body temperature rises to at least 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Some individual's temperature rises even higher. A 104 degrees Fahrenheit core body temperature is the main symptom of heat stroke. The condition can lead to multiple physical and neurological symptoms. For instance, patients may have altered behavior or an unusual mental state including slurred speech, confusion, irritability, agitation, delirium, and seizures. As symptoms progress, affected individuals may enter a coma. Patients with heat stroke often experience vomiting and nausea, a racing heart, flushed skin, rapid breathing, and a headache. It's important to call 911 if you think you or someone around you may be experiencing heat stroke.

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