Heat Exhaustion vs. Heat Stroke

In this RoyOnRescue, I reply to a question a student emailed me about how to recognize heat exhaustion and heat stroke and how to treat both.   If you ever wondered if a person was just “over heated” or if they might be in danger of suffering a life threatening heat stroke, you will want to watch this video blog reply.

In some parts of the country it doesn’t feel very hot but don’t be fooled…Summer is just around the corner.  Be ready and don’t allow you or someone you love to become a victim of Heat Stroke!

Roy Shaw

Roy is the lead trainer and co-founder of ProTrainings. He is also an EMT paramedic whose opinions about rescue come from many years of experience on the ambulance.

More Posts - Website

Follow Me:
TwitterFacebookLinkedInYouTube

2 comments on “Heat Exhaustion vs. Heat Stroke

  1. Hello Greg,

    Thank you for your question. There are in fact two different forms of heat stroke. Let’s take a look at what heat stroke is again and then let’s look at how credible M.D.’s describe the two.

    Background

    “Heat illness may be viewed as a continuum of illnesses relating to the body’s inability to cope with heat. It includes minor illnesses, such as heat edema, heat rash (ie, prickly heat), heat cramps, and tetany, as well as heat syncope and heat exhaustion. Heatstroke is the most severe form of the heat-related illnesses and is defined as a body temperature higher than 41.1°C (106°F) associated with neurologic dysfunction.”

    Dr. Helman and Dr. Habal describe the two different forms of heat stroke this way:

    “Two forms of heatstroke exist. Exertional heatstroke (EHS) generally occurs in young individuals who engage in strenuous physical activity for a prolonged period of time in a hot environment. Classic nonexertional heatstroke (NEHS) more commonly affects sedentary elderly individuals, persons who are chronically ill, and very young persons. Classic NEHS occurs during environmental heat waves and is more common in areas that have not experienced a heat wave in many years. Both types of heatstroke are associated with a high morbidity and mortality, especially when therapy is delayed.”
    http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/166320-overview

    I hope this was helpful and thank you for the questions.

    Best wishes,

    Roy Shaw, EMT-P
    RoyOnRescue.com
    royonrescue@gmail.com

Leave a Reply