What should you know about heat stroke sickness?

The body can no longer release heat effectively. A person may become confused, faint, unusually drowsy, uncoordinated, or develop a severe headache. The skin may feel very hot; sweating can be present or absent, so sweating does not rule heat stroke out. Heat exhaustion can worsen into heat stroke, but heat stroke can also appear suddenly during intense heat or exertion. Vomiting makes fluid loss harder to replace and can accompany severe overheating.

Call emergency services as soon as heat stroke is suspected. Move the person to shade or an air-conditioned place, remove extra clothing, and cool the body with wet cloths, cool water, or fanning. Stay with them and watch their breathing. Do not give drinks to someone who is confused, vomiting, very drowsy, or unable to swallow safely; do not use fever medicines as a substitute for cooling and emergency care. Clinicians may provide oxygen, monitoring, and IV Fluid Therapy.

Treat altered behaviour, collapse, seizure, trouble breathing, repeated vomiting, or inability to drink after heat exposure as an emergency. Do not wait for a temperature reading or for sweating to stop. A person who improves after cooling still needs prompt medical assessment because organ problems can develop after the skin feels cooler. Keep the person resting in a cool environment while help is on the way.

Ask what may have triggered the episode, which medicines or health conditions could raise heat risk, how to plan fluids during activity, and when it is safe to return to work, sport, or outdoor exposure. Ask how to recognise early Heat Exhaustion before it progresses.