Heat-related illness caused by the loss of water and electrolytes through sweating
Heat exhaustion is one condition on the spectrum of raised body temperature derived from a heat illness. Other heat illnesses include heat cramps and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is caused by the raising of a person's body temperature from either environmental conditions or by exertion. A raised internal body temperature can induce high amounts of perspiration out of the body, which can lead to the loss of water, salt and other electrolytes.[1][2]
Prevention of any heat-related illness includes avoiding exposure to very hot environments for prolonged periods, such as tropical sunshine in the middle of the day, or a boiler room, and drinking adequate fluids to replace insensible loss through perspiration, avoiding exertion and exercise in hot weather, avoiding medications that can be detrimental to the regulation of body heat, and removing or loosening clothing.[1][2][3]
These symptoms may also fall under other heat-related illnesses like heat stroke, heat cramps, and heat syncope. Heat stroke is a severe condition as heat-related illness and falls closely to similar symptoms to heat exhaustion. Symptoms of heat stroke that differ from heat exhaustion include hot but dry skin, flushed coloration of the skin, and central nervous system dysfunction. Heat stroke is much more severe in nature in comparison to heat exhaustion in that it can lead to multi-organ failure and death.[6]
Causes
Common causes of heat exhaustion include:[7]
Hot, sunny, humid weather
Physical exertion, especially in hot, humid weather
Due to impaired thermoregulation, elderly people and infants can get serious heat illness even at rest, if the weather outside is hot and humid, and they are not getting enough cool air.
A diagnosis of heat exhaustion most commonly is diagnosed by medical professionals with various physical examinations. Through examination a patient would have their temperature checked and questioned about their recent activity.[1] If the medical professionals suspect a patients heat exhaustion has progressed into heat stroke they may then lead with these varying tests to verify;
Blood test, medical professionals when conducting a blood test look for low blood sugar or potassium. They may also look for the presence of unwanted gases in a patients blood.[1][2]
Urinalysis, an urinalysis or urine test is a test to measure color, clarity, pH levels, glucose concentration, and protein levels.[9] The test additionally can check a patient's kidney function, which is common to be affected by classic heat stroke.[2]
Muscle function tests, medical professionals use muscle function tests to check for rhabdomyolysis. Which is severe damage to a persons skeletal muscle tissue.[10]
^ a b c d e"Heat Exhaustion: Symptoms & Treatment". Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved 2024-04-10.
^ a b c dKenny, Glen P.; Wilson, Thad E.; Flouris, Andreas D.; Fujii, Naoto (2018). "Heat exhaustion". Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 157: 505–529. doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64074-1.00031-8. ISSN 0072-9752. PMID 30459023.
^Lipman, Grant S.; Eifling, Kurt P.; Ellis, Mark A.; Gaudio, Flavio G.; Otten, Edward M.; Grissom, Colin K. (December 2013). "Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Treatment of Heat-Related Illness". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 24 (4): 351–361. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2013.07.004.
^"Heat Cramps, Exhaustion, Stroke". National Weather Service. April 4, 2022. Retrieved June 26, 2024.
^ a b cJacklitsch, Brenda L. (June 29, 2011). "Summer Heat Can Be Deadly for Outdoor Workers". NIOSH: Workplace Safety and Health. Medscape and NIOSH.
^Epstein, Yoram; Yanovich, Ran (2019-06-20). Longo, Dan L. (ed.). "Heatstroke". New England Journal of Medicine. 380 (25): 2449–2459. doi:10.1056/NEJMra1810762. ISSN 0028-4793.
^ a b"Heat Injury and Heat Exhaustion". www.orthoinfo.aaos.org. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. July 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
^ a b c"Heat Exhaustion and Heatstroke". www.nhs.uk. National Health Service of the United Kingdom. June 11, 2015. Retrieved January 1, 2016.
^McPherson, Richard A.; Pincus, Matthew R. (2017-04-05). Henry's Clinical Diagnosis and Management by Laboratory Methods E-Book. Elsevier Health Sciences. ISBN 978-0-323-41315-2.
