Heatstroke Awareness: How to Spot, Prevent and Respond to Emergencies

Last year’s high temperatures set recordsprompting the US Department of Labor to remind employers protection of workers exposed to extreme heat. Among certain populations – such as older people, young children, people who are less mobile and people with certain health conditions — people whose jobs keep them outside or in extreme heat are more susceptible to heat illness. This includes heatstroke, which can be fatal and is the most serious form of heat-related illness. The summer of 2024 is expected to be disastrous, according to a forecast by The Weather Channel. Here’s how to prepare for it.

Heatstroke can occur due to overexertion or strenuous activity, but “classic” heat strokes occur when someone is exposed to a hot environment and their body temperature rises to dangerous levels. Most fatal heat illnesses occur in workers during the first few days of work in warm or hot weatheraccording to the Ministry of Labor, because the body did not have time to acclimatize to the increased temperature.

We see heatstroke “especially among the elderly, in very young children, like infants, and when we see these hot flashes that last for several days,” said Dr. Corinne Hudson, an emergency room physician with MedStar Health.

Here’s what you need to know if you or someone close to you begins to experience heat stroke symptoms.

Read more: Is it heat stroke or heat exhaustion?

Symptoms of heat stroke

Sometimes heatstroke can start with symptoms of heat exhaustion, which is not as serious as heatstroke, but still requires someone to cool down as quickly as possible. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include nausea, headache, cold skin, fast or slow heart rate, and other signs. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke, which is a medical emergency. If your symptoms get worse, last more than an hour, or you start vomiting, call 911.

Symptoms of heatstroke, according to Mayo Clinic and on US Centers for Disease Control and Preventioninclude:

• Altered mental status, including confusion, agitation, and slurred speech
• Hot, flushed, usually dry skin (however, if your heatstroke is caused by exercise, it may feel slightly moist, the Mayo Clinic says)
• Headache
• convulsions
• Very high body temperature (104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher)
• Rapid breathing
• Fast pulse

1. Call 911

Heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires professional help.

If there is more than one person around to help the person suffering from heatstroke, Hudson advises that one call 911 while the other helps the victim through the steps below.

2. Go to a cooler place immediately

If you are around someone who has heatstroke, move them to a cooler locationsuch as a nearby room with air conditioning or in the shade.

Both are good options, but “try to get them off the heat as quickly as possible,” says Hudson. The goal is to cool the body’s core temperature.

3. Remove excess clothing

Removing long-sleeved shirts, pants, or other clothing will help a person cool down faster. Hudson says the goal is to achieve “evaporative cooling,” and clothing can prevent evaporation. You can also consider cooling clothes that work with your body to keep you cooler and more comfortable.

(For people who choose to run in layers to “sweat their weight,” Hudson says, they probably shouldn’t. It’s dangerous and may cause heat stroke.)

4. Keep ice, cold towels, or cold water next to the skin

If you have something like a cold towel or a water bottle, place them on your or the other person’s neck, armpits, or groin. While waiting for help to arrive, you can even spray them with cold water or place them under a cold shower — anything to cool them down. In fact, cold water immersion or an ice bath is one treatment for heat stroke that doctors can use in the hospital.

But don’t give a drink to someone who has had heatstroke, the CDC says. This is different advice than for someone who is experiencing heat exhaustion, which usually comes before heat stroke. While someone with heat exhaustion may be given sips of water or a sports drink, a person experiencing heat stroke may be confused, lose consciousness, or have an altered state of consciousness.

“Because they have a depressed or altered level of consciousness, it can affect their ability to swallow safely, so it’s probably better not to give them anything to eat or drink,” she says.

Check your neighbors

Some people are more susceptible to heat illness and heatstroke, such as older people, younger children, people with mobility problems, certain health problems, and those taking certain medicationsincluding common medications such as blood pressure or antidepressants.

In the event of a heat wave, be especially careful to check in with your elderly neighbor down the hall or a friend who has mobility issues, according to Hudson.

“That’s when we really recommend that people check on their neighbors,” she said. “Especially in places where people don’t have access to air conditioning or they don’t have a way to go somewhere cool.”

“They may feel bad, but they can’t do anything about it,” Hudson added.