Dehydration and head stroke are two common heat-related diseases that can be life threatening if ignored. If a person is overexposed to the sun and does not take in the fluids there body needs they can become dehydrated. The body will lose water content and body salts like sodium, potassium, calcium, bicarbonate, and phosphate.

Symptoms of dehydration

· headache

· dizziness

· disorientation, agitation or confusion

· sluggishness or fatigue

· seizure

· hot, dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty

· a high body temperature

· loss of consciousness

· rapid heart beat

· hallucinations

A heat stroke is the most severe and life threatening form of heat related illnesses.

It’s caused by long, extreme exposure to the sun, in which a person does not sweat enough to lower their body temperature. Our body produces an incredible amount of internal heat and we cool ourselves down by sweating and radiating heat through the skin. After to much exposure to the hot sun or high humidity this cooling system may begin to fail, allowing heat to build up to dangerous levels.

Symptoms of a Heat Stroke

· headache

· dizziness

· disorientation, agitation or confusion

· sluggishness or fatigue

· seizure

· hot, dry skin that is flushed but not sweaty

· a high body temperature

· loss of consciousness

These Are the Facts

• 2.2 million children will die from dehydration this year.
• Heat stroke kills more than 10% of its victims.
• In the United States an average of 175 people die each year from heat strokes.
• In 1995 more people died from heat strokes than any other natural disaster in the U.S.

http://www.cnn.com/HEALTH/9907/28/heat.dangers/index.html

http://www.umm.edu/non_trauma/dehyrat.htm