Heat exhaustion can sneak up on you..

It's been very hot in my part of the world. We are seeing a lot of kids in the emergency department with these symptoms:

• nausea
• vomiting
• fever
• headache/neck pain

These symptoms usually started when they were out in the heat and not drinking fluids. Then they got better when the child went back inside and drank some water.

This is heat exhaustion.

So what is heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion is a heat related illness caused by excessive exposure to heat and the inability of the body to dissipate excess heat. It is not the same thing as heat stroke, which is life threatening and I may cover in another blog post.

What are the symptoms of heat exhaustion?

• fast heart rate
• sweating
• nausea
• vomiting
• headache
• thirst
• fever

If untreatreated, the symptoms can turn into heat stroke which can be life threatening.

So what do I do if my child has these symptoms?

Move them into a cooler environment. Make them stop exercising immediately. Remove excess clothing. Give them a salt containing solution to drink, such as gatorade.

What do I do if my child doesn't get better?

Your child should be seen for evaluation. They may need IV fluids in the emergency department.

Next time- heat stroke



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