5 Hidden Signs of Heatstroke

Hidden signs of heat stroke

As the temperature climbs this summer, so does your risk of heatstroke—a serious, and potentially fatal, medical condition that occurs when your body is unable to cool itself and overheats to temperatures up to 106 degrees Fahrenheit. Luckily, heatstroke can be prevented easily, especially if you know how to identify and treat its often unnoticed, early symptoms.

1.  Muscle cramps
Heat cramps, a precursor leading up to heatstroke, can be a first sign that the body is struggling to maintain its temperature. Heat cramps are severe, sometimes disabling muscle cramps that begin suddenly in the hands, calves, or feet. If you're engaging in physical activity and suddenly experience shooting pain in these areas, be sure to hydrate and get to shade immediately. Your cramps are likely being caused by its temperature, not your exercise!

2. Feeling faint, light-headed or dizzy
Heat exhaustion is another, less severe condition that can lead to heatstroke. One of its main symptoms is feeling faint or light-headed. If you are feeling dizzy or confused after a day in the sun, take preventative measures—such as staying in cool, shaded areas and wearing loose-fitting cotton clothes—to avoid progressing into the more-serious heatstroke condition. People who suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or other medical conditions that make it difficult to cool off need to be especially careful  and proactive if they begin to feel faint in the heat.

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3. Headache
Though most people attribute headaches to stress or a cold, they can also be caused by dehydration. In fact, headache is a commonly ignored symptom of heat exhaustion, which left untreated can evolve into heatstroke. If you're in a warm environment and you feel a headache, make sure to hydrate and cool down immediately. Avoid drinking beverages with alcohol or caffeine when it's hot out, too, as these drinks contain a chemical that causes you to retain less water, leading you to dehydrate more easily.

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4. Overall fatigue and weakness
Fatigue is usually considered a sign of a poor night's rest, but in fact it can also be a signal that you're having trouble cooling off. As your temperature rises, you may begin to feel weak and tired. Consider it a sign from your body that you need to take it easy, and take a breather in a shaded area while drinking some water. Taking a cold shower, soaking your feet in a bucket of water, or putting a wet towel over your shoulders will also help you cool down.

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5. Sweating accompanied by cold, clammy skin
Sweating is your body's natural way of cooling off—which is why staying hydrated is so important. As sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, your skin cools and lowers your temperature. But if you don't have enough water in your system, there isn't any to sweat out and bring your temperature back down. Though a person experiencing heatstroke will usually have dry, flushed, and warm skin (because sweating has ceased), an earlier sign is sweat accompanied by cold or clammy skin. Staying out of the humidity will also help, as it's harder for your sweat to evaporate when the surrounding air is damp. It's one of your body's last-ditch attempts to get you to cool off, so make sure you listen to it!