Heat exhaustion and heatstroke

Heat exhaustion

High temperature exposure or exercising on hot, humid days may lead to heat exhaustion. Sweating profusely during this condition will cause the loss of vital fluids and minerals, but prevents the body from reaching an extreme temperature.

People who are obese, very young or very old, chronically ill or taking certain medicines are more susceptible to heat exhaustion than others.

Heat exhaustion may precede heatstroke, but not the other way round.

The symptoms of heat exhaustion may include:

• • Profuse sweating

• • Pale, clammy skin

• • Dilated pupils

• • Weakness and dizziness

• • Nausea and vomiting

• • Muscle cramps

• • Headache

• • Rise in temperature.

The treatment of heat exhaustion consists of the following:

• • Take the person out of the warm environment, e.g. to the shade or into an air-conditioned room

• • Loosen his or her clothing

• • Lay the person down with feet elevated

• • Place cool (not cold), wet towels on the skin and fan the person

• • Give the person cool fluids to drink, for example juice or salted water (one teaspoon of salt on one litre of water). If the person vomits, stop giving fluids

• • If the person passes out, get medical treatment immediately.

Heatstroke

Heatstroke is normally the more serious of the two conditions. It is an acute condition which occurs when the body produces or absorbs more heat than it can dissipate. It may also be caused by exposure to high temperatures or exercising on hot, humid days. Likewise, people who are obese, very young or very old, chronically ill or taking certain medicines are more susceptible than others.

The most noticeable difference is that a person suffering from heatstroke stops sweating and the body temperature soars, whereas someone suffering from heat exhaustion sweats profusely, thereby helping the body to regulate its temperature.

Other symptoms of heatstroke may include the following:

• • Flushed, hot skin that is often dry to the touch

• • Dizziness and confusion

• • Irritability and aggressiveness

• • Rapid pulse rate

• • Hallucinations

• • Loss of consciousness

• • Sudden rise of temperature above 40 degrees C.

The treatment of heatstroke includes the following:

• • Call for emergency medical assistance immediately as the condition is life threatening

• • Remove the person’s clothing

• • Place him or her into a cold water bath, or spray the person with cool water, or cover the person in wet sheets or towels

• • Fan the person but not to the point of shivering

• • Monitor the person’s temperature. When it drops to 38.3 or 38.9 degrees Celsius, dry the person but keep up the fanning. If the temperature rises again, repeat the cold water procedure above.

• • If the person should lose consciousness, keep fanning until medical assistance arrives.

Our Employee Wellbeing Programme (EAP) is available 24 hours a day if you want to know more about heat-related illness.