Between long summer days spent at the cottage, amusement parks or lounging in your backyard, it can be easy to go overboard in our attempt to squeeze everything we can out of our short-lived summer. However, over-exerting yourself during warmer weather can put you at risk of heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
To protect yourself and your family, it’s important to be able to recognize warning signs and know when to seek help.
Here are some signs to watch out for:
- High body temperature
- Confusion
- Skin rash
- Muscle cramps
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Dark urine
- Headaches
- Fainting
- Lack of coordination
If you experience any of these symptoms during extreme heat, it’s best move to a cool place and hydrate – water is best.
This signs and symptoms of heat stroke can overlap with those of heat exhaustion. They include high body temperature, confusion, lack of coordination, dizziness and fainting. But typically, when a person is experiencing heat stroke, they don’t sweat. ; However, their skin may be red and very hot to touch. When a person is experiencing a heat stroke during a period of exercise, they may be profusely sweating.
Heat stroke is a medical emergency, so make sure to call 911 or your local emergency number immediately if you or someone else is showing signs and symptoms. While waiting for help, you can cool the person right away by moving them to a cool place, applying cold water to large areas of the skin and fanning the person as much as possible.
The Author:
Find more tips on how to recognize the symptoms of heat-related illnesses at canada.ca/health.