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Medical Author:

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Benjamin Wedro, MD, FACEP, FAAEM

Dr. Ben Wedro practices emergency medicine at Gundersen Clinic, a regional trauma center in La Crosse, Wisconsin. His background includes undergraduate and medical studies at the University of Alberta, a Family Practice internship at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario and residency training in Emergency Medicine at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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In this Article

• Heat cramps facts
• What are heat cramps?
• Who is at risk for heat cramps?
• What causes heat cramps?
• What are the signs and symptoms of heat cramps?
• When should an individual seek medical care for heat cramps?
• How are heat cramps diagnosed?
• How are heat cramps treated?
• What are the complications of heat cramps?
• How can heat cramps be prevented
• What is the prognosis for heat cramps?
• Find a local Doctor in your town
• Heat Cramps Index

Heat cramps can usually be treated when and where they occur. The affected individual should stop all activity and find a cool place to rest. The muscle cramps and spasms can be overcome by gently stretching the cramped muscle(s). Individuals can often replace their fluid loss by drinking a combination of water, sports drinks, or other electrolyte replacement solutions.

If the cramps cannot be controlled, the affected individual should seek medical care. There is no specific condition that differentiates heat cramps from heat exhaustion. The symptoms of these conditions form a spectrum from mild to moderate heat-related illness and symptoms can overlap. Severe heat cramps may actually be heat exhaustion. This is especially true if the person has nausea or vomiting and cannot replace the fluid loss, if they have significant fatigue and weakness, or of they have profuse sweating that does not stop when placed in a cooler environment.

Heat stroke is a true medical emergency and can be deadly. The body's ability to cool itself no longer functions, and as the temperature spikes, sometimes greater than 106 F (41 C), confusion and coma can occur. Emergency medical services should be activated (call 911) immediately if an individual is thought to have heat stroke. While waiting for help to arrive, the person should be moved to a cool place, clothes should be removed to help air circulate over the body, and cool water should be sprayed or sponged to attempt to cool the affected individual's body.

Prevention is the key to avoiding heat cramps, or other heat-related illness. A person who has had heat cramps is more prone to developing them again. Some professions are at higher risk for heat cramps, for example, construction workers and roofers are potentially exposed not only to the heat from the sun but also from the radiant heat from the hot shingles and liners on the roof. It may be helpful to acclimate to the hot environment over a period of days to allow the body and its muscles to adapt to its water and electrolyte needs.