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Heat Stroke Heat Stroke Brain

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature, causing it to rise to dangerous levels over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms include lack of sweating, red and dry skin, nausea, seizures, and confusion. Heat stroke requires emergency medical treatment to cool down the body through methods like cold baths or spraying the skin with water, as the high body temperature can damage the brain and other vital organs.

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50 views2 pages

Heat Stroke Heat Stroke Brain

Heat stroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body is unable to regulate its temperature, causing it to rise to dangerous levels over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Symptoms include lack of sweating, red and dry skin, nausea, seizures, and confusion. Heat stroke requires emergency medical treatment to cool down the body through methods like cold baths or spraying the skin with water, as the high body temperature can damage the brain and other vital organs.

Uploaded by

shianyhenly
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and is considered a

medical emergency. If you suspect that someone has heat stroke -- also
known as sunstroke
Heat stroke can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal
organs. Although heat stroke mainly affects people over age 50, it also
takes a toll on healthy young athletes.
Heat stroke often occurs as a progression from milder heat-related
illnesses such as heat cramps, heat syncope (fainting), and heat
exhaustion. But it can strike even if you have no previous signs of heat
injury.
Heat stroke results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures --
usually in combination with dehydration -- which leads to failure of the
body's temperature control system. The medical definition of heat
stroke is a core body temperature greater than 104 degrees Fahrenheit,
with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after
exposure to high temperatures. Other common symptoms include
nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of
consciousness or coma

Symptoms of Heat Stroke


The hallmark symptom of heat stroke is a core body temperature above
104 degrees Fahrenheit. But fainting may be the first sign.
Other symptoms may include:

 Throbbing headache
 Dizziness and light-headedness
 Lack of sweating despite the heat
 Red, hot, and dry skin
 Muscle weakness or cramps
 Nausea and vomiting
 Rapid heartbeat, which may be either strong or weak
 Rapid, shallow breathing
 Behavioral changes such as confusion, disorientation, or
staggering
 Seizures
 Unconsciousness

While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, initiate first aid. Move the
person to an air-conditioned environment -- or at least a cool, shady
area -- and remove any unnecessary clothing.
Try these cooling strategies:

 Fan air over the patient while wetting his or her skin with water
from a sponge or garden hose.
 Apply ice packs to the patient's armpits, groin, neck, and back.
Because these areas are rich with blood vessels close to the skin,
cooling them may reduce body temperature.
 Immerse the patient in a shower or tub of cool water.
 If the person is young and heathy and suffered heat stroke while
exercising vigorously -- what’s known as exertional heat stroke --
you can use an ice bath to help cool the body.

Other strategies for preventing heat stroke include:

 Monitoring the color of your urine. Darker urine is a sign of


dehydration. Be sure to drink enough fluids to maintain very light-
colored urine.
 Measuring your weight before and after physical activity.
Monitoring lost water weight can help you determine how much
fluid you need to drink
A serious medical emergency known as a heat stroke occurs when the body's temperature reaches
104 degrees Fahrenheit due to long periods in the heat or exerting yourself through physical activity
in the heat.

Most people suffering a heat stroke will have symptoms of altered sweating, rapid breathing and
heart rate, flushing of the skin, headache, and changes in behavior and mood. The person may
even seem confused and not able to think clearly.

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