Whether you’re visiting the local waterpark, playing sports outdoors, working in your garden or resting in a car on a warm summer day, hot temperatures could spell a heat-related illness like heat exhaustion or heat stroke. While heat stroke and heat exhaustion both exist on a spectrum, the illnesses manifest themselves quite differently, and one could be fatal. Do you know the differences? We talked to Wendi El-Amin, MD, specialist in Family Medicine, to find out. Show
Heat exhaustionThe body is able to cool itself by sweating, but if sweating is unable to dissipate the heat generated within the body, heat exhaustion can occur. Often dehydration will also occur because the affected individual hasn’t replaced the water lost through sweating. Symptoms include:
How to treat it:
Heat strokeHeat stroke is a form of hyperthermia, meaning the body temperature is dramatically elevated to 104 degrees F or higher. If not treated promptly or properly, it can lead to death. Symptoms include:
How to treat it:
Prevent heat-related illnesses“It is critical to stay hydrated during the summer months,” advises Dr. El-Amin. “Consider hydrating yourself before becoming physically active outside in the heat and replenishing yourself with water every 20 minutes.” It’s also important to be aware of which populations are most susceptible to heat related illnesses. “Our most vulnerable populations affected by heat stroke and heat exhaustion are children below the age of 4 and adults older than 65,” Dr. El-Amin says. According to Dr. El-Amin, people should also be aware of certain medications, such as those for high blood pressure, that place people at a higher risk for heat stroke and heat exhaustion. The body’s ability to regulate heat (i.e. to produce or reduce heat, controlled by the region of the brain known as the hypothalamus) describes how body temperature is determined. Normally, the body is
well equipped to maintain temperature within a safe range even when external temperatures fluctuate dramatically. The hypothalamus is effectively the body’s very own thermostat. So, the hypothalamic thermoregulatory centre balances the heat produced by the metabolic processes in the body with heat loss from the skin and lungs. Heating and cooling functions are regulated in the following ways: Normal body temperature is considered to be an oral measurement of 36 to 37°C (98.6°F), but fluctuates during the course of the day. Body temperature peaks (at its highest) around early evening (6 pm), and reaches its lowest levels around 3 am, then increasing gradually during daytime hours (fluctuations are slight). Fluctuations may also be influenced by other factors such as exercise activity or, for women, the menstrual cycle. Body
temperature is quite sensitive to fluctuations in hormone levels and adjusts accordingly. Body temperature can be measured using a thermometer in various ways:
Defining hyperthermiaHyperthermia, also referred to as heat-related illness, is characterised as a medical condition that is caused by exposure to heat (hot temperatures). Exposure to high temperatures can lead to a range of illnesses which vary from minor ailments to life-threatening conditions. Exposure to heat results in the ineffective ability of the normal internal temperature control system to regulate itself. Normal cooling mechanisms (sweating or perspiration) start to become less effective beyond an air temperature of around 35°C (95°F). Perspiration evaporates quickly so as to reduce the rate of lost heat. When this becomes ineffective (especially if increasingly inefficient), electrolyte imbalances lead to dehydration, among many other symptoms, and internal body temperature is at risk of rising rapidly. Once body temperature exceeds 40°C (104°F) a person is regarded as hyperthermic. Hyperthermia versus hypothermiaHyperthermia effectively means that the body’s internal temperature is rapidly reaching dangerously high levels and is incapable of cooling down through normal functioning mechanisms. Exposure to extreme heat is one of the main reasons why this occurs. The following are medical conditions which result in hyperthermia:
Signs of heat-related illness show very quickly and in mild instances can be effectively controlled. If severe, hyperthermia is a dangerous illness and can result in extreme symptoms leading to brain damage and life-threatening effects on the body’s internal organs. By contrast, hypothermia refers to a severe loss of internal heat and is deemed a medical emergency. When the body loses warmth quicker that it can produce heat to balance its internal temperature, levels become dangerously low. Loss of body temperature, below the 35°C (95°F) mark places a person at risk for hypothermia, which can lead to a complete failure of the heart and respiratory system. Exposure to cold (weather or elements such as ice-cold water) may lead to hypothermia. Treatment is required immediately so as to prevent a severely life-threatening situation (severe organ function complications or death). Hyperthermia versus feverWhen there are signs of infection in the body which causes fever and various other symptoms, the hypothalamus reacts by elevating the set point of 'normal' temperature to fever levels as a means to rid the body of infectious agents or toxins. Body temperature rises as part of the immune system’s reaction to ‘unwelcome’ infectious elements such as a virus, bacteria, parasite or fungus, and a person becomes feverish. Once an infection begins to clear, a fever breaks and signals the hypothalamus to ‘reset body temperature’ back to normal. In the case of hyperthermia, the hypothalamic thermostat remains the same, but changes in the environment which interfere with this thermostat are too excessive for the body’s natural cooling systems. Mechanisms for cooling the body down become overwhelmed by external heat and thus cause a rapid increase in internal temperature. Medications, particularly those obtained over-the-counter, are effective for providing assistance with breaking a fever, but are not all that helpful when it comes to hyperthermia. In this instance, a change in aggravating factors, such as external environment, rehydration measures and external cooling measures are best for helping the body return to its normal (safe) temperature.
Find this interesting? Share it! Other Articles of Interest A serious medical condition, frostbite can lead to severe and irreversible tissue damage. A common freezing injury, we breakdown what happens, what causes it and how best to go about treating it... Hypotension (low blood pressure) and hypertension (high blood pressure), mean two different things. Find out about blood pressure readings, what they mean, the causes of blood pressure changes & more. What is an ultrasound scan and how does it work? We look at the numerous ways this screening and monitoring tool is used in medicine today. Learn more about this test here... What are the types of hyperthermia?Heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after prolonged exposure to the heat), heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke are commonly known forms of hyperthermia. Risk for these conditions can increase with the combination of outside temperature, general health and individual lifestyle.
What are the three types of hyperthermia?Hyperthermia, which is when the body's core temperature begins to rise, occurs in three stages - heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke - with the latter being the most serious.
What is the temperature in hyperthermia?Hyperthermia is defined as a body temperature greater than 40 C. Several conditions can cause hyperthermia. In sepsis, the immunologic reaction to the infection most often manifests as a fever.
What is it called when your body temperature rises?A fever is a temporary rise in body temperature. It's one part of an overall response from the body's immune system. A fever is usually caused by an infection.
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It is a form of hyperthermia which the body temperature is rising to higher level dramatically
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