Related concepts:

Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat prostration

Introduction to heat stroke:

Whether it’s a baby at the beach on a hot day, a toddler left in a sweltering car, or a budding young athlete at an exhausting practice in the sun, heat injuries are more common than people think.

What is heat stroke?

We are warm-blooded. Our bodies produce heat. When a muscle contracts, only about 25 percent of the energy is used for the muscle work. A surprising 75 percent of the energy is turned into heat to keep our temperature up.

If we didn’t have a way to get rid of extra body heat, our temperatures would keep on climbing. Strenuous exercise would raise the body temperature by about 2 degrees every five minutes, reaching fatal levels in only about 20 minutes.

We get rid of extra heat by radiating it to the cooler surrounding environment, by evaporating extra fluid, and by letting air currents carry it away through convection.

If the surrounding air temperature is hot, if the air is not moving, and if the person is getting dehydrated, heat becomes dangerous.

Who gets heat stroke?

The smaller the child, the less likely he is to be able to tolerate heat, especially if he is already a bit dehydrated or has a fever, and if there is poor air circulation.

Heat injuries can occur at any age. Sports and physical activity are generally beneficial and healthy for adolescents; nevertheless, heat injuries are among the leading causes of sports deaths.

People who have a prior history of heat injury, who are taking medicines or drugs (including antihistamines, Ritalin, thyroid hormone, some colic medicines, bed-wetting medicines, diuretics, or laxatives), or who have underlying illnesses (such as diabetes, cystic fibrosis, vomiting, diarrhea, bronchiolitis, or a variety of skin disorders) are at higher risk.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

Children's skin can be quite sensitive to heat. Nursing mom's often discover this, especially in the summertime, when their baby's face turns red where it is against the mother's skin. This redness comes from blood vessels in the area dilating to cool the skin down. Cooling the skin usually makes the rash disappear within hours, or even sooner. Prickly heat (miliaria rubra) is a type of heat rash that lasts.

Heat cramps are common with physical exertion. They usually affect the calf or hamstring muscles.

Heat syncope is fainting due to heat/dehydration.

Heat edema is swelling of the hands or feet from heat. People sometimes get this condition when initially exposed to hot weather.

Heat tetany is tingling, especially of the wrists. Hyperventilation in hot weather can cause heat tetany.

Heat exhaustion usually entails a body temperature of 101 to 104, headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and fainting.