How Can You Differentiate between Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion?

Family Medicine, University of California San Diego Health System

Supervised by Garrett Kneese, MD, MPH

Heat exhaustion is less severe and usually comes with heavy sweating and weakness, while heat stroke is more serious with high body temperature, confusion, and sometimes little or no sweating.

Explanation

When you have heat exhaustion, you might feel very tired, have a headache, feel dizzy, and your body sweats a lot. Your body temperature is usually only a little high. On the other hand, heat stroke is much more dangerous. With heat stroke, your body temperature is very high, and you may feel confused, have trouble speaking, or even lose consciousness. Here are some ways to tell them apart:

In Heat Exhaustion, you will usually notice:
Heavy sweating
Weakness and dizziness
A moderately raised body temperature
In Heat Stroke, you may see:
Very high body temperature
Confusion or strange behavior
Little to no sweating
Rapid breathing and a fast heartbeat

If you suspect heat stroke, it is important to get help immediately by calling emergency services. Cooling methods and fast treatment are needed to help prevent serious damage to your body.

(References)

Glazer JL. Management of heatstroke and heat exhaustion. Am Fam Physician. 2005 Jun 1;71(11):2133-40. PMID: 15952443.
Maule AL, Scatliffe-Carrion KD, Kotas KS, Smith JD, Ambrose JF. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke among active component members of the U.S. Armed Forces, 2019-2023. MSMR. 2024 Apr 20;31(4):3-8. PMID: 38722363; PMCID: PMC11107842.
Morris A, Patel G. Heat Stroke. [Updated 2023 Feb 13]. In: StatPearls [Internet].

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