Hyperthermia and Heat-Related Illness
Medical Author: Steven Doerr, MD
Medical Editor: William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR
What is hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia is overheating of the body. The word is made up of "hyper" (high) + "thermia" from the Greek word "thermes" (heat). Hyperthermia is literally high heat. There are a variety of heat-related illnesses, including
heat stroke and heat exhaustion. Other heat-related health problems include heat cramps, heat rash and
sunburn.
Summer can bring heat waves with unusually high temperatures that last for days and sometimes weeks. In the summer of 1980, a severe heat wave hit the United States, and nearly 1,700 people lost their lives from heat-related illness. Likewise, in the summer of 2003, tens of thousands of people died of the heat in Europe. High temperatures put people at risk.
What causes hyperthermia and heat-related
illnesses?
People suffer heat-related illness when the body's temperature control system is overloaded. The body normally cools itself by sweating. But under some conditions, sweating just isn't enough. In such cases, a person's body temperature rises rapidly. Very high body temperatures can damage the brain or other vital organs.
Several factors affect the body's ability to cool itself during extremely hot weather. When the humidity is high, sweat will not evaporate as quickly, preventing the body from releasing heat quickly. Other conditions that can limit the ability to regulate temperature include old age, obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease, poor circulation, sunburn, and drug, and alcohol use.
Those at greatest risk of heat-related illness include:
- infants and children up to four years of age
- people 65 years of age or older
- people who are overweight
- people who overexert during work or exercise
- people who are ill or on certain medications
Infants and children up to four years of age are very sensitive to the effects of high temperatures and rely on others to regulate their environments and provide adequate liquids.
People 65 years of age or older may not compensate for heat stress efficiently, and are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature.
Overweight people may be prone to heat sickness because of their tendency to retain more body heat.
Any health condition that causes dehydration makes the body more susceptible to heat-related illness. If you or someone you know is at higher risk, it is important to drink plenty of fluids, avoid overexertion, and get your doctor or pharmacist's advice about medications being taken for:
Next: Hot weather health emergencies »
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- Heat Rash - Learn heat rash symptoms, causes, and treatment of heat rash-- a common skin irritation that can occur at any age.
- Dehydration - Read about dehydration (definition: excessive water loss) in children, treatment, symptoms (thirst, dry mouth, dark urine) and causes (vomiting, diarrhea).
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