Heat exhaustion and heatstroke during the trip

Reading time: 2 min

High temperatures in summer and staying in the sun for too long can lead to sunstroke or heat exhaustion.  

The first symptoms of heat exhaustion are:

Person drinking a standing glass of water

Intense thirst.

Pale person with heavy sweating

Abundant sweating.

Person putting a hand to the head, with a symbol indicating dizziness and malaise

Dizziness.

Confused person

Confusion.

Woman vomiting into the toilet

Nausea.

In these cases, you are advised to:

Avoid unprotected sun exposure

Immediately get out of the sun.

Air conditioning sound

Cool down using a fan or air conditioning, or by bathing in cool water.

Person drinking a standing glass of water

Drink plenty to rehydrate.

In some cases, the body may not be able to regulate its own temperature, and it may develop into heatstroke, which is the more serious form of heat exhaustion.   

Heatstroke can have fatal consequences, which means you must urgently seek medical assistance. 

When should I go to the emergency room?

  • If you develop a fever (especially over 38 degrees).  
  • In the case of intense headache, confusion or chills, which may be due to heatstroke.  
  • If you have extensive burns with blisters.   
  • If there are signs of infection, such as a white-ish coloured discharge, the presence of white spots on the burnt area, significant reddening or a bad odour.  
  • If there is no improvement within 48-72 hours. 
  • If there are signs of dehydration: thirst, headache, fatigue, dizziness, reduced quantity of urine.   
The donations that can be done through this webpage are exclusively for the benefit of Hospital Clínic of Barcelona through Fundació Clínic per a la Recerca Biomèdica and not for BBVA Foundation, entity that collaborates with the project of PortalClínic.

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