Heatstroke is a condition you can get when your body heats up too much and you start to feel exhausted and light-headed. Heatstroke can also cause unconsciousness if not treated.

You can prevent heatstroke by not getting exposed to the sun too much when outside. You can also prevent heatstroke by drinking lots of water and staying cool. Elderly people, small children, people on medications (especially tranquilizers), and people with weight or alcohol problems are more likely to get heatstroke.

You can tell if someone is getting a heatstroke by feeling their pulse to see how fast it is. When someone is having heatstroke their pulse will rapidly beat. You might also look for dry skin or possibly unconsciousness. When someone has heatstroke you should immediately take them to the hospital. Delay could be fatal.

Move the victim to a cool area to lower body temperature. You could also try and lower body temperature by taking off all clothing and taking a cold bath. Fan and air conditioning are also another way of cooling down the person. If temperature continues to rise, repeat the process. Make sure once they have heatstroke, DON'T GIVE THEM ANY FLUIDS!

Now you know, if there is someone near you and their forehead feels like it's on fire...run them to the hospital!

Sun graphic on this page created by the
"Kids Making Healthy Choices" ThinkQuest team.