Recent Blog Articles
Can long COVID affect the gut?
When replenishing fluids, does milk beat water?
Safe, joyful movement for people of all weights
Slowing down racing thoughts
Are women turning to cannabis for menopause symptom relief?
3 ways to create community and counter loneliness
Helping children make friends: What parents can do
Can electrical brain stimulation boost attention, memory, and more?
Palliative care frightens some people: Here’s how it helps
Parents don't always realize that their teen is suicidal
Heat Stroke (Hyperthermia)
What Is It?
The human body usually can regulate its temperature. When the body gets too hot, it uses several strategies to cool down, including sweating. But if a person spends too much time in the heat without taking in enough fluids, the body's cooling processes can't work properly. When the body becomes dehydrated, it can no longer cool itself by sweating. When this happens, body temperature can rise high enough to make the person sick.
The first symptoms of heat illness occur as the body temperature climbs above normal, and can include headache, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and fatigue. These early symptoms sometimes are called heat exhaustion. If steps are not taken to reduce body temperature, heat exhaustion can worsen and become heat stroke.
To continue reading this article, you must log in.
Subscribe to Harvard Health Online for immediate access to health news and information from Harvard Medical School.
- Research health conditions
- Check your symptoms
- Prepare for a doctor's visit or test
- Find the best treatments and procedures for you
- Explore options for better nutrition and exercise
I'd like to receive access to Harvard Health Online for only $4.99 a month.
Sign Me UpAlready a member? Login ».
Disclaimer:
As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles.
No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
Free Healthbeat Signup
Get the latest in health news delivered to your inbox!
