Heat stroke is one of the most common yet deadly effects of the Sun on the body. A heat stroke may be defined as a serious failure of the body's heat regulation mechanisms resulting from excessive exposure to intense heat. Heat strokes are very dangerous to human health and should be treated as a medical emergency. The absence of prompt medical care can even result in brain damage.

People who are generally more susceptible to heat stroke are the elderly, infants, athletes, construction workers, miners, new military recruits and people on certain medications such as amphetamines, Mao inhibitors, anticholinergics etc..

Different people react in different ways to the heat. This may be because of differences in age, weight, physical fitness, metabolism, extent of acclimatization, decreased fluid intake, consumption of alcohol and/or drugs before work in the Sun and various other medical problems.

This section of "The Sun: Man's Friend & Foe" brings you specific information regarding diagnoses, prevention, symptoms, and treatment of heat stroke. Proper knowledge of each of these areas is vital to ensure that adequate care can be given to individuals suffering from heat stroke.

         

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©Copyright 1998 Elizabeth Beckett, Holly Bernitt, and Vishwa Chandra.