Skip subpage navigation
Heat illnesses and injuries are no fun! What is heat-related illness? Heat-related illness, or hyperthermia, is a condition resulting from exposure to extreme heat where the body becomes unable to properly cool, resulting in a rapid rise in body temperature.
The evaporation of sweat is the normal way to remove body heat, but, when the humidity is high, sweat does not evaporate as quickly.
This, in turn, prevents the body from releasing heat quickly. Prompt treatment of heat-related illnesses with aggressive fluid replacement and cooling of core body temperature is critical to reducing illness and preventing death. Be safe when taking part in outside activities and remember to hydrate!
As the weather warms up in the coming months, don’t let the sun’s dangerous rays affect your fun! Remember to always use sunscreen and take regular breaks from direct sunlight.
You also may be interested in...
You are leaving Health.mil
The appearance of hyperlinks does not constitute endorsement by the Department of Defense of non-U.S. Government sites or the information, products, or services contained therein. Although the Defense Health Agency may or may not use these sites as additional distribution channels for Department of Defense information, it does not exercise editorial control over all of the information that you may find at these locations. Such links are provided consistent with the stated purpose of this website.
You are leaving Health.mil
View the external links disclaimer.
Last Updated: August 04, 2023