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Heat-Related Illnesses (Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, Heat Stroke)What are heat-related illnesses?Exposure to abnormal or prolonged amounts of heat and humidity without relief or adequate fluid intake can cause various types of heat-related illness. Children and teens adjust more slowly than adults do to changes in environmental heat. They also produce more heat with activity than adults, and sweat less. Sweating is one of the ways the body cools itself. Children and teens often don't think to rest when having fun and may not drink enough fluids when playing, exercising, or participating in sports. Children and teens with chronic health problems, or those who take certain medicines, may be more susceptible to heat-related illnesses. Children and teens who are overweight or wear heavy clothing during exertion, such as marching band or football uniforms, are also more susceptible. Heat related illness can occur in two ways, exertional and non-exertional. Exertional heat illness occurs when your child exerts themselves in a hot environment, such as practicing football on a hot day without any breaks. Non-exertional heat stroke occurs when a child is trapped in a hot environment. Examples of this would be an infant left in a car on a summer day, or a child with disabilities left in a hot apartment without access to water. Heat-related illness includes the following conditions based on the severity of a child's condition:
What are heat cramps?Heat cramps are the mildest form of heat illness and consist of painful muscle cramps and spasms that occur during or after intense exercise and sweating in high heat. What is heat exhaustion?Heat exhaustion is more severe than heat cramps and results from a loss of water and salt in the body. It occurs in conditions of extreme heat and excessive sweating without adequate fluid and salt replacement. Heat exhaustion occurs when the body is unable to cool itself properly and, if left untreated, can progress to heat stroke. What is heat stroke?Heat stroke, the most severe form of heat illness, occurs when the body's heat-regulating system is overwhelmed by excessive heat. It is a life-threatening emergency and requires immediate medical attention. Symptoms and first-aid measures for heat injuriesThe following chart contains the most common symptoms of heat-related illness. Specific treatment will be determined by your child's doctor and may include some, or more, of the following:
How can heat stroke be prevented?Some general guidelines to help protect your child from heat-related illnesses include the following:
What is dehydrated?Dehydration means your body loses more fluids than you take in. If it's not treated, it can get worse and become a serious problem.
What refers to the excessive loss of water from the body usually through perspiration or sweating urination or evaporation?Thirst can be a sign of dehydration (say: dee-hye-DRAY-shun). Dehydration means that your body doesn't have enough water in it to keep it working right. A person gets water by drinking and eating. You lose water when you sweat, urinate (pee), have diarrhea, or throw up.
What happens when the body loses water due to sweating?As sweat evaporates from your skin, it removes heat from the body, but you also lose body fluid. You need to drink fluid during exercise to replace the fluids you lose when you sweat. That way, you'll reduce the risk of heat stress, maintain normal body function, and maintain performance levels.
What do you call the excessive loss of fluid from the body?Dehydration occurs when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn't have enough water and other fluids to carry out its normal functions. If you don't replace lost fluids, you will get dehydrated.
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