What Are The Symptoms Of Heat Exhaustion?

The most common symptoms of heat exhaustion include faintness or dizziness, nausea or vomiting, heavy sweating, and muscle cramps, according to Mayo Clinic. Additional symptoms include headache, weakness or fatigue, rapid pulse and flushed face.

Heat exhaustion is the result of exposure to high temperatures and occurs through either water or salt depletion, explains WebMD. Although water or salt depletion is not symptomatic of the more serious heat stroke, inadequately addressing heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke and result in brain damage, vital organ damage and death.

Heat exhaustion is tied to the heat index, which is a measure of combined relative humidity and air temperature and how the body feels under those conditions, notes WebMD. When relative humidity reaches or exceeds 60 percent, it prevents sweat evaporation and inhibits the body from cooling itself. The risk of heat exhaustion is particularly high when temperatures climb to 90 degrees Fahrenheit and above.

Treating heat exhaustion symptoms involves getting out of the heat and resting in a cool and shady location, notes WebMD. The affected person should drink plenty of nonalcoholic fluids or beverages without caffeine, remove as much clothing as possible, use fans or ice baths, and take a cool shower. An individual should immediately seek medical attention if symptoms do not get better within a short time, particularly if he suffers seizures, faints or has an elevated fever of 104 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Mayo Clinic.