Everyone Healthy Library
Heat Exhaustion
Also Known As: Heat Collapse; Heat Prostration
Condition / disease reference page from the Everyone Healthy database.
! Seek urgent medical care if warning signs appear
Some health conditions or symptoms can become urgent. Use this page for education, but seek help quickly if warning signs are present.
Get urgent medical care now if there is any severe, sudden, rapidly worsening or worrying symptom, especially:
- chest pain, pressure or pain spreading to the arm, jaw or back
- trouble breathing, blue lips, severe wheeze or choking
- stroke-like symptoms such as face drooping, arm weakness or speech trouble
- collapse, fainting, seizure, confusion or extreme drowsiness
- severe bleeding, black stools, vomiting blood or major injury
- severe allergic reaction, swelling of the face/throat or widespread rash with breathing trouble
- severe abdominal pain, severe headache, stiff neck or sudden vision change
- signs of severe dehydration, sepsis, high fever with worsening illness, or symptoms in a baby/young child that concern you
Connected health information
Explore this condition in a clear order
Condition overview
Attributes
Linked signs and symptoms
15Each sign/symptom opens its own page and links back to related conditions.
Linked drugs / medications
0No linked drugs are listed yet.
Treatments, therapies and supportive options
16Grouped by treatment type. These are educational database links, not personal treatment recommendations. Evidence labels are shown only where stored in the EH database.
Medical therapy
1Lifestyle changes
7- Apply Ice Water-Soaked Towel to Head and BodyWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Elevation of LegWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Immerse in Ice WaterWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Intravenous fluids (IV)Weakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Remove Insulating ClothesWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- RestWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
- Rest in a Cool EnvironmentWeakly in Favour(Low Evidence)
Behavioural changes
6Linked diagnostic tests and investigations
3These are pulled from both EH diagnostic-test link tables, including the older large test-link table.
Biological markers/agents
3This visual map shows biological markers/agents reported as increased or decreased with this condition. These are educational relationships only; test results must be interpreted by a qualified clinician because ranges vary by lab, method, age, sex and clinical context.
Often increased
2Often decreased
1Introduction / full article
Heat Exhaustion
Summary References
Treatments:
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16046331?dopt=Abstract
2. American College of Sports Medicine, Armstrong LE, Casa DJ, et al. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exertional heat illness during training and competition. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Mar;39(3):556-72.
3. Wexler RK. Evaluation and treatment of heat-related illnesses. Am Fam Physician. 2002 Jun 1;65(11):2307-14. full-text, commentary can be found in Am Fam Physician 2003 Apr 1;67(7):1439
4. http://www.aafp.org/afp/2005/0601/p2133.html
5. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec21/ch318/ch318c.html?qt=heat%20exhaustion&alt=sh#sec21-ch318-ch318c-672a