hyperthermia : Hyperthermia: Too Hot for Your Health

Now that Li Ming is retired, she likes to work in her garden—even in hot weather. Then last summer, an unusual heat wave hit her area. The temperature was over 100°F, and the humidity was at least 90%. By the third day, her daughter Kim came over because Li Ming sounded confused on the phone. Kim found her mom passed out on the kitchen floor. Li Ming's large fan wasn't enough to fight the effect of heat and humidity. She had heat stroke, the most serious form of hyperthermia.
Almost every summer, there is a deadly heat wave in some part of the country. Too much heat is not safe for anyone. It is even riskier if you are older or if you have health problems. It is important to get relief from the heat quickly. If not, you might begin to feel confused or faint. Your heart could become stressed and maybe stop beating.
Your body is always working to keep a balance between how much heat it makes and how much it loses. Too much heat causes sweating. When the sweat dries from your skin, the surface of your body cools, and your temperature goes down.
But being hot for too long can be a problem. It can cause several illnesses, all grouped under the name hyperthermia (hy-per-ther-mee-uh).

• Heat syncope is a sudden dizziness that may happen when you are active during hot weather. If you take a kind of heart medication called a beta blocker or are unused to hot weather, you are even more likely to feel faint. Drinking water, putting your legs up, and resting in a cool place should make the dizzy feeling go away.
• Heat cramps are the painful tightening of muscles in your stomach, arms, or legs. Cramps can result from hard work or exercise. While your body temperature and pulse usually stay normal during heat cramps, your skin may feel moist and cool.

These cramps are a sign that you are too hot. Find a way to cool your body down. Rest in the shade or in a cool building. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids, but not those with alcohol or caffeine (coffee, tea, and some sodas). Caffeine can cause you to be dehydrated.

• Heat edema is a swelling in your ankles and feet when you get hot. Putting your legs up should help. If that doesn’t work fairly quickly, check with your doctor.
• Heat exhaustion is a warning that your body can no longer keep itself cool. You might feel thirsty, dizzy, weak, uncoordinated, and nauseated. You may sweat a lot. Even though your body temperature stays normal, your skin feels cold and clammy. Some people with heat exhaustion have a rapid pulse. Rest in a cool place and get plenty of fluids. If you don’t feel better soon, get medical care. Be careful—heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke.

Heat stroke can be life threatening! You need to get medical help right away. Older people living in homes or apartments without air conditioning or fans are at most risk. So are people who become dehydrated or those with chronic diseases or alcoholism.