With temperatures rising across the country as summer hits its hottest stretch, knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke could mean life and death for those around you and yourself.
If you are working or playing in the heat without taking regular breaks out of the sun and into air conditioning and water, you’re putting yourself at risk of heat exhaustion.
Symptoms of heat exhaustion are heavy sweating; cool, pale, and clammy skin; a rapid pulse; feeling faint, dizzy, and nauseous; vomiting; and muscle cramps.
If you don’t recognize these symptoms and stay outside for too long, you are at risk of having a heat stroke.
During a heat stroke, you stop sweating, have a throbbing headache with a rapid, strong pulse as your body temperature rises above 103°, and could lose consciousness.
At that point, it becomes an emergency being that you won’t be able to drink enough water on your own to cool down. Someone around you needs to recognize your heat stroke symptoms and quickly call 911 or take you directly to the nearest emergency room, as it’s the only way to save your life.
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