Summer is soon approaching, which means warmer weather and a lot of sun. Time spent in the warm weather can be fun, but it also has the potential to be dangerous. According to the MSU Health e-Guide, a heatstroke occurs when the body fails to normalize its own temperature and the body’s temperature rises, often to 104°F (40°C) or higher.
Remaining healthy and safe requires the ability to recognize a heatstroke before it’s too late and treat it while waiting for help to arrive. Listed below are the symptoms associated with a heatstroke from the MSU Health e-Guide.
Signs of rapidly progressing heatstroke include:
- Unconsciousness for longer than a few seconds.
- Convulsion (seizure).
- Signs of moderate to severe difficulty breathing.
- A rectal temperature over 104°F (40°C) after exposure to a hot environment.
- Confusion, severe restlessness or anxiety.
- Fast heart rate.
- Sweating that may be heavy or may have stopped.
- Skin that may be red, hot and dry, even in the armpits.
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea.
Recognizing the signs of a heat stroke will allow you to seek medical help sooner and reduce the possible deadly effects of this warm weather hazard.
Look for the emergency steps for treating a heatstroke on the MSU Health e-Guide website by searching for heatstroke in the search box on the homepage.