Heat Stroke: Overview
Summer is almost around the corner, with temperatures in April soaring to almost 40 degrees Celsius. With rising global temperatures and frequent heat waves, heat-related illnesses are becoming more common, and heatstroke is among the most severe. Often confused with other forms of heat illnesses, heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. This blog contains information about heatstroke symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and heat stroke treatment to prevent tips and recovery. Please note that this blog is for informational purposes only, and it is always advisable to consult the doctor for an accurate diagnosis.
What is a Heat Stroke?
Heatstroke, also known as sunstroke, is a life-threatening condition that occurs when the body's core temperature rises above 104°F (40°C), usually due to prolonged exposure to excessive heat or physical exertion in hot environments. It impairs the body’s ability to regulate temperature, potentially leading to organ damage or death if not treated promptly.
Heatstroke is distinct from heat exhaustion or heat cramps. It represents the most severe form of excessive body heat accumulation and always requires emergency medical care.
What are the Different Types of Heat Strokes?
There are primarily two types of heat strokes:
Exertional Heat Stroke (EHS)
Occurs in people doing intense physical activity in hot conditions—common among athletes, military personnel, and outdoor workers.
Non-Exertional or Classic Heat Stroke
Occurs in vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, and individuals with chronic illnesses, often without physical exertion but due to prolonged excessive heat exposure.
How Do I Know if I am Experiencing a Heat Stroke?
If you experience sudden confusion, rapid heartbeat, or dry, hot skin during hot weather, you might be suffering from a heat stroke. The inability to sweat, despite high body temperatures, is a critical warning sign. Heatstroke symptoms often escalate quickly and should never be ignored.
What are the Early Signs and Symptoms of a Heat Stroke?
Recognizing mild heat stroke symptoms early can prevent serious complications. Here are the signs and symptoms of a heat stroke:
High body temperature (104°F/40°C or above)
A dangerously high core body temperature is the main sign of heat stroke and can quickly lead to organ damage if not treated immediately.
Hot, dry skin or heavy sweating (varies between individuals)
Some people may stop sweating and have dry, red skin, while others may continue to sweat heavily—both are signs the body is failing to cool itself.
Altered mental state (confusion, agitation, delirium)
Heat stroke can affect brain function, leading to confusion, irritability, slurred speech, or hallucinations.
Sudden, uncontrolled electrical activity in the brain may occur as the body overheats, signaling a medical emergency.
The heart beats faster to try to cool the body down and circulate blood more quickly, often accompanied by low blood pressure.
Overheating can upset the stomach, leading to feelings of nausea or episodes of vomiting.
A throbbing headache is an early warning sign of heat-related illness as body temperature rises.
Feeling lightheaded or faint may occur due to dehydration and reduced blood flow to the brain.
Muscle cramps or weakness
Excessive heat and fluid loss can lead to painful cramps or overall muscle weakness, especially during or after exercise.
In mild heat stroke symptoms, one may feel exhausted, dehydrated, or slightly disoriented. These should be taken as early red flags.
What Does a Heat Stroke Feel Like?
People who have experienced heat stroke often describe it as a sudden onset of severe fatigue, headache, dizziness, and disorientation. It may feel like an overwhelming wave of weakness and confusion accompanied by nausea and a racing heart. Unlike regular tiredness, this sensation intensifies quickly, making it difficult to stand, speak, or even think clearly.
What Causes Heat Stroke?
Heat stroke occurs when your body overheats and can't cool itself down effectively. Normally, your body regulates its temperature through sweating and radiating heat. But in extremely hot conditions, especially with high humidity, these cooling mechanisms can fail, leading to a dangerous rise in body temperature (above 104°F or 40°C).
Prolonged Exposure to High Temperatures
Spending too much time in excessive heat, such as during a heatwave, in a car with no ventilation, or under direct sun, can overwhelm your body's ability to cool down.
Intense Physical Activity in Hot Weather
Exercising or working outdoors in hot conditions, especially without enough water, can trigger exertional heat stroke. Your muscles generate more heat, and without enough hydration, your body struggles to release it.
When you’re not drinking enough fluids, you don’t sweat as much—sweat is how your body cools itself. Dehydration is a major contributor to excessive body heat buildup.
Wearing Inappropriate Clothing
Wearing thick, dark, or non-breathable clothing in hot weather traps heat close to your body and restricts heat dissipation.
Certain Medications and Health Conditions
Some medications and health conditions increase the risk by affecting your body’s temperature control:
Diuretics, antihistamines, antidepressants, beta-blockers
Heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and respiratory illnesses
These can interfere with your body’s ability to sense and regulate temperature, increasing the risk of overheating.
Are There Any Risk Factors for a Heat Stroke?
There are several factors that can increase the risk of experiencing a heat stroke:
Infants and the elderly are more vulnerable.
Sudden exposure to hot climates can increase the risk of a heat stroke
Increases the risk of excessive body heat.
Outdoor occupations or sports
Workers and athletes are at higher risk
How is a Heat Stroke Diagnosed?
When someone shows signs and symptoms of heat stroke, doctors must act fast to confirm the diagnosis and start treatment. Here's how heat stroke diagnosis typically works:
Core body temperature measurement (rectal thermometer is most accurate)
The most critical sign of heat stroke is a core body temperature of 104°F (40°C) or higher. Doctors often use a rectal thermometer for the most accurate reading.
Physical examination for heatstroke symptoms
The doctor asks about recent physical activity, time spent in the heat, and symptoms like confusion, dizziness, or fainting. They'll also check for any medications or health conditions that could contribute to the overheating.
The doctor may recommend blood tests to assess dehydration, kidney function, electrolyte levels, and muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis). Furthermore, urine tests help check kidney function and an ECG (electrocardiogram) to monitor heart rhythm and detect stress on the heart.
How Do You Treat a Heat Stroke?
Prompt and aggressive heat stroke management is essential to avoid complications. Heat stroke treatment should begin immediately, even before reaching a hospital:
First Aid Steps
Move the person to a cool, shaded area
Remove excess clothing
Apply ice packs to armpits, neck, and groin
Use a fan and mist water to accelerate cooling
Offer cool (not cold) fluids if the person is
Medical Treatment At The Hospital Involves:
IV fluids to rehydrate and cool the body internally
Electrolyte replacement to stabilize the body’s systems
Monitoring of organ function, especially the kidneys, heart, and brain
Oxygen therapy if breathing is affected
Medications to control shivering (which can raise body temperature)
Avoid These Things in the Office to Prevent a Heat Stroke
Heat stroke can become a serious risk in office settings, especially when ventilation is poor or cooling systems aren't working properly. Skipping water, wearing dark or synthetic clothing, and consuming too much caffeine all increase the chance of dehydration and overheating. If you work outdoors, it's important to take regular breaks indoors to cool down. Also, keep windows shaded to prevent excess heat from building up inside. Simple adjustments like these can go a long way in keeping your workplace safe and comfortable and significantly reduce the risk of heatstroke during heat waves.
Wearing heavy, tight, or non-breathable clothing in a warm office environment can trap heat and increase your risk of heat stroke. To stay cool, opt for light, loose-fitting clothes made from breathable fabrics like cotton or linen. These materials help regulate body temperature and allow sweat to evaporate more easily.
Staying hydrated is one of the most effective ways to prevent heat-related illnesses. Skipping water or drinking too little throughout the day can quickly lead to dehydration, especially in hot environments. Keep a water bottle at your desk and make it a habit to take small sips regularly, even if you’re not feeling thirsty.
Excessive consumption of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, or energy drinks can increase dehydration, which contributes to overheating. Similarly, eating heavy or greasy meals during lunch can raise your internal body temperature. Instead, opt for lighter meals like salads, fruits, and lean proteins, and limit caffeine intake during the hottest parts of the day.
Poor air circulation and blocked ventilation can significantly raise indoor temperatures, making the workspace uncomfortable and risky during hot days. Make sure air vents are not obstructed, and consider using a small desk fan if needed. A well-ventilated space helps your body maintain a safe temperature.
Ignoring early warning signs of heat stress, such as dizziness, excessive sweating, headache, or fatigue, can lead to more serious issues like heat stroke. If you experience any of these symptoms, take a break, move to a cooler area, and drink water. Also, take short walks or stretch occasionally to help with circulation and temperature regulation.
What Should I Eat to Avoid Heat Stroke?
Certain foods and drinks can help regulate your body temperature and prevent excessive body heat:
What to Eat?
Water-Rich Fruits: Watermelon, Cucumber, Oranges
Fruits with high water content are excellent for staying hydrated and keeping your body cool. Watermelon, cucumber, and oranges not only replenish fluids but also provide essential vitamins and minerals lost through sweat. Incorporating these fruits into your meals or snacks throughout the day is a simple and refreshing way to prevent dehydration and reduce your risk of heat stroke.
Leafy Greens: Spinach, Lettuce
Leafy greens such as spinach and lettuce are light, hydrating, and packed with nutrients that support your body in high temperatures. They are easy to digest and don’t generate internal heat like heavier foods. Adding them to salads, sandwiches, or smoothies helps maintain hydration and supplies minerals like magnesium and potassium that are important in preventing heat-related illnesses.
Coconut Water: Natural Electrolyte Boost
Coconut water is a natural source of electrolytes like potassium and magnesium, which are crucial for maintaining fluid balance in the body. It’s especially helpful in replenishing lost minerals due to sweating. Drinking coconut water during or after exposure to heat can keep you hydrated and help regulate your body temperature, making it a smart alternative to sugary or artificially flavored drinks.
Yogurt and Buttermilk: Cooling and Hydrating
Yogurt and buttermilk are cooling, probiotic-rich foods that aid digestion and help regulate body heat. Buttermilk, in particular, is a traditional remedy in hot climates to beat the heat. Consuming a bowl of yogurt or a glass of buttermilk with lunch not only cools your body but also supports gut health, which can be impacted during heat stress.
Mint and Basil: Helps Reduce Internal Heat
Herbs like mint and basil have natural cooling properties and can help lower internal body temperature. Adding fresh mint or basil leaves to your water, salads, or smoothies is a refreshing way to stay cool. These herbs also aid in digestion and offer a light, aromatic boost to your summer meals.
What to Avoid?
Spicy and deep-fried foods can raise your internal body temperature and put stress on your digestive system. They often lead to excessive sweating and discomfort in hot weather, increasing the risk of heat stroke. To stay cool, it’s best to reduce your intake of heavily spiced curries, fried snacks, and oily meals, especially during peak heat hours.
Caffeinated or Alcoholic Beverages
Both caffeine and alcohol act as diuretics, causing your body to lose more fluids than it takes in. This can lead to dehydration, which is a key contributor to heat stroke. Limit coffee, energy drinks, and alcoholic beverages during hot days, and replace them with water, fresh juices, or coconut water to stay properly hydrated.
Heavy Meats or Rich Dairy
Large portions of red meat or rich dairy products like cream and cheese take longer to digest and generate more body heat during the process. This can make your body feel warmer and more fatigued in high temperatures. Instead, choose lighter proteins such as fish, lentils, or yogurt-based dishes that are easier on your system and help keep your temperature down.
Heat Stroke Recovery: What to Expect?
The first step in heat stroke recovery begins with immediate medical attention. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, and the body must be cooled quickly to prevent damage to vital organs. In a clinical setting, treatment often includes intravenous fluids for hydration, cooling methods like ice packs or cooling blankets, and continuous monitoring of body temperature and vital signs. This phase is critical for stabilizing the patient and preventing complications.
Once stabilized, maintaining hydration becomes a top priority in the recovery process. The body loses essential fluids and electrolytes during heat stroke, so replenishing them is crucial. Drinking plenty of water, electrolyte-rich drinks like coconut water, and consuming hydrating foods such as fruits and soups helps the body regain balance. Light, nutrient-rich meals that are easy to digest also support energy levels without overtaxing the digestive system.
Rest and Energy Management
Fatigue is a common symptom after a heat stroke, and the body needs significant rest to recover. Patients often feel weak, tired, or mentally foggy for several days. It’s important to avoid any strenuous activity or exposure to heat during this time. Getting plenty of sleep, taking breaks, and avoiding stress allow the body to repair itself and regain strength gradually.
A cool, well-ventilated environment is essential during recovery. The body remains sensitive to heat for days or even weeks after a heat stroke, making it necessary to avoid hot, humid, or poorly ventilated areas. Use fans and air conditioning, or stay indoors during peak heat hours. Wearing light clothing and staying in shaded or cool spaces helps prevent a recurrence.
Monitoring for Complications
Even after the initial symptoms subside, it’s important to watch for signs of complications. Heat stroke can affect the kidneys, liver, heart, or brain, especially if not treated promptly. Symptoms like chest pain, confusion, reduced urine output, or persistent headaches should be reported to a doctor immediately. Follow-up appointments may be recommended to ensure all systems are functioning normally.
Gradual Return to Activities
Returning to normal daily activities should be done slowly and cautiously. Light tasks can be reintroduced once the person feels more stable, but it’s vital to avoid overexertion. If the person works in hot environments or does physical labor, a phased return with precautions—like frequent hydration breaks and staying cool is strongly advised. Full recovery can take days to weeks, depending on the severity of the heat stroke.
What are the Potential Complications of Heat Stroke?
Heat stroke is a serious, life-threatening condition, and if not treated quickly, it can lead to severe complications. Some of which may be long-term or even fatal. Here are some potential complications:
Prolonged exposure to high body temperature can cause swelling in the brain, leading to confusion, seizures, coma, or permanent neurological damage.
Heart and Circulatory Problems
Heat stroke can strain the heart, leading to irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia), low blood pressure, or even cardiac arrest, especially in older adults or those with heart conditions.
Muscle Breakdown (Rhabdomyolysis)
Overheating can cause severe muscle damage, releasing proteins into the bloodstream that may clog the kidneys and lead to failure.
The combination of dehydration, muscle breakdown, and low blood pressure can cause the kidneys to shut down, potentially requiring dialysis or causing permanent damage.
The liver is highly sensitive to heat stress and may become inflamed or fail altogether in severe heat stroke cases.
Blood Clotting Disorders (DIC)
Heat stroke can cause disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC), a dangerous condition where blood clots form throughout the body, leading to bleeding, organ damage, or stroke.
Heat stroke may lead to fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema) or breathing problems due to inflammation and organ failure.
If not treated promptly, heat stroke can lead to multi-organ failure and death, especially in vulnerable populations like the elderly, children, or athletes exercising in extreme heat.
Heat Stroke vs. Heat Exhaustion
Heat Exhaustion
Heat exhaustion is a moderate heat-related illness that happens when your body overheats and can’t cool down effectively. It often occurs due to dehydration and prolonged physical activity in hot weather. Heat exhaustion is more common and less dangerous than heat stroke but still needs attention.
Symptoms Of Heat Exhaustion include:
Treatment for heat exhaustion includes moving to a cool place, resting, rehydrating with water or sports drinks, and using cooling measures like fans, wet cloths, or ice packs.
Heatstroke
Heatstroke is the most severe form of heat illness and is a medical emergency. It occurs when the body’s temperature rises to 104°F (40°C) or higher, and its cooling mechanisms fail. This can result in permanent organ damage or death if not treated quickly.
Symptoms of heat stroke include
High body temperature (104°F / 40°C or above)
Altered mental state (confusion, seizures, unconsciousness)
Hot, dry skin (or excessive sweating in some cases)
Rapid breathing and heartbeat
Loss of coordination or fainting
For the treatment for heat stroke, call emergency services immediately. Begin rapid cooling, ice baths, cold packs, or wet towels while waiting for medical help.
Heat stroke in Children
Heat stroke in children is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that occurs when a child's body temperature rises to dangerous levels typically 104°F (40°C) or higher and the body can no longer cool itself effectively. It is often caused by prolonged exposure to high temperatures, intense physical activity in the heat, or being left in hot environments, such as a parked car.
Children are especially vulnerable because their bodies heat up faster and they sweat less than adults. Common symptoms include hot, flushed, or dry skin, confusion, dizziness, rapid breathing, nausea, and in severe cases, seizures or loss of consciousness. Immediate management involves calling emergency services, moving the child to a cooler place, removing excess clothing, and cooling the body with cold water, fans, or wet cloths.
Preventing heat stroke in children includes keeping them hydrated, avoiding outdoor play during peak heat hours, and never leaving them unattended in vehicles. Prompt recognition and quick action are critical to ensuring a safe recovery.
Consult Top Internal Medicine Doctors at Artemis for Heat Stroke Treatment in Gurgaon
Heatstroke is not just a summer inconvenience; it’s a serious, potentially life-threatening condition. Recognising heatstroke symptoms, understanding heat stroke causes, and acting quickly with proper heat stroke treatment can make a life-saving difference. Prevention is always better than cure, especially when dealing with excessive heat. Stay cool, hydrated, and informed to enjoy the warmer months safely.
Artemis Hospitals, Gurgaon, has a dedicated team of highly qualified internal medicine specialists, personalized to each patient’s needs. The hospital is equipped with advanced diagnostic and monitoring facilities, ensuring rapid assessment and treatment of heat-related emergencies.
The internal medicine team collaborates with specialists in cardiology, nephrology, and neurology when needed, ensuring comprehensive care and preventing long-term complications. Located conveniently in Gurgaon, Artemis also provides a comfortable, patient-friendly environment backed by 24/7 emergency services and world-class infrastructure.
To book an appointment with the top Internal Medicine Specialist in Gurgaon, contact Artemis Hospitals at +91-124-451-1111 or WhatsApp us at +91 9599285476. You can also schedule an appointment through our online patient portal or download and register on the Artemis Personal Health Record mobile app, available for both iOS and Android devices.
Article By Dr. Seema Dhir
Sr. Consultant - Internal Medicine
Artemis Hospitals
Frequently Asked Questions
Is heat stroke the same as sun stroke?
Yes, sunstroke is another term for heatstroke, typically referring to cases caused by direct sun exposure.
Can I get a heat stroke indoors?
Yes, if the indoor environment is poorly ventilated and extremely hot, especially for vulnerable individuals.
How long does it take to recover from heat stroke?
Patients with mild cases may recover in 2-3 days, while severe cases can take weeks or longer.
Can children get heat stroke?
Absolutely. Children are at higher risk due to their developing thermoregulation systems.
Does drinking water prevent heat stroke?
Staying well-hydrated greatly reduces your risk, but it's one of many preventive measures.
Can heat stroke cause death?
Yes, if not treated promptly, it can lead to fatal complications like organ failure.
Can I exercise after recovering from heat stroke?
Only after a doctor's clearance and gradual reintroduction to physical activity.
