Heat Exhaustion

The symptoms of heat exhaustion include weakness, cold and clammy skin, a feeling of faintness, fatigue, nausea, and a weak pulse. It is also possible, when the individual has a severe body water depletion, that sweating has stopped and the skin feels dry. The likely cause of these symptoms is an inadequate blood flow to the brain, with the sufferer typically on the ground but semiconscious. Symptoms usually respond well to rapid cooling, so heat-exhaustion victims should be cooled through whatever means are available. Applying wet, ice-cold cloths to the body or placing the victim in a cold-water bath are both effective. After a return to full consciousness, the athlete can be given sips of cool fluid, but this should not be forced because it may cause nausea. There is no rational reason for a heat-exhausted athlete to try to return to physical activity on the same day. Instead, the person should spend the remainder of the day staying cool and hydrating with sodium-containing fluids, such as sports beverages. Caution: Under no circumstances should an athlete who has stopped sweating continue exercising because this may cause a rapid and dangerous rise in core temperature.