Heatstroke and heat illness

Heat illness, including heatstroke, can happen in hot places, whether you are indoors or outdoors. It can start when you are active in a place that's too hot.

Heat illness can be mild or severe, and heat exhaustion and heatstroke are the most serious types.

Heat exhaustion can usually be managed with first aid. But if you can't cool down, it can turn into heatstroke, which can be life threatening.

Heat exhaustion can cause a number of symptoms. These include:

• tiredness
• weakness
• feeling faint
• headache
• muscle cramps
• feeling or being sick
• heavy sweating
• feeling very thirsty
• heat rash

Adults and children usually have the same symptoms of heat exhaustion. Children might also behave strangely.

Call a doctor or the 16263 health line if you or someone else:

• has symptoms of heat exhaustion that you're struggling to treat, or that you need advice on

Heatstroke can cause several symptoms:

• a high body temperature or fever, usually more than 40 degrees Celsius
• fainting or losing consciousness
• a seizure or fit
• severe difficulty breathing, for example struggling to speak without pausing, gasping or choking
• confusion
• lack of coordination
• skin that's cold to the touch, even with a high body temperature

You or someone else:

• has symptoms of heatstroke
• still feels unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled down and drinking fluids

If the person loses consciousness while you're waiting for help, put them in the recovery position.

If someone shows symptoms of heat illness, they need to be cooled down as soon as possible. Here is what to do:

• Move them to a cooler place, such as a shaded room indoors.
• Take off any clothing or accessories they don't need, including jackets and socks.
• Give them fluids to drink, like water or a rehydration drink. Foods with a high water content, such as an ice lolly, can help. Salty foods can also help replace the salt lost through sweating.
• Apply cool water to their exposed skin with a spray or sponge, and fan them quickly.

If someone shows signs of heatstroke, follow the first aid advice given above. Once they reach hospital, doctors will try to cool the body down. They may also give fluids through a vein.

How long heat illness lasts is different for each person. With heat exhaustion, you'll usually start to feel better 30 to 60 minutes after you've been cooled down. You may still feel unwell or tired for up to 24 hours, though, and your symptoms shouldn't get worse during that time.

Heatstroke is treated in hospital, and it can take a few days to recover from it.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can happen when you're exposed to high temperatures. It might be that you exercise in a hot place, or that you spend a long time outside in the heat.

Anyone can be affected by heat illness in hot weather, but some people are more likely to become unwell. This includes:

• older people
• babies
• young children
• people with long-term health conditions like diabetes or heart problems

• drink plenty of cool fluids to stay hydrated, and don't wait until you feel thirsty
• eat cold foods with high water content, like salads and fruit
• have a cool shower, bath or wash
• sprinkle cool water over your skin or clothing
• keep a damp cloth on the back of your neck
• take care with alcohol, because it can leave you dehydrated
• cool your home by closing windows and curtains in rooms that face the sun
• plan activities like dog walking for cooler times of the day, like morning or evening
• cover up with a long-sleeved shirt when the sun is at its hottest (11am to 3pm)
• stay out of the sun when it's at its hottest
• wear a hat with a brim or flap that protects the ears and neck
• wear loose-fitting clothing when it's warm

• do not do tiring physical activity, like running, in very hot or humid weather

Find out more about how to stay safe in hot weather