Today's Article

"It doesn't take a lot for an individual to get sick."

Emergency medicine Dr. Mark Conroy with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center says when a person is 3overheated, it can cause normal body functions to fail.

4Heat exhaustion can happen when there's an5 excessive loss of water and salt, typically from heavy sweating when it's hot.

Symptoms may include headache, 6nausea, 7dizziness, weakness, 8irritability, thirst, 9elevated body temperature, and decreased 10urine output.

"But if you don't address it at that moment, you can end up getting to a point where your core body temperature gets to a dangerous level."

11Life-threatening 12heat stroke happens when the body can no longer control its temperature.

Symptoms include confusion, 13altered mental status, 14slurred speech, 15loss of consciousness, hot, dry skin or excessive sweating, 16seizures, and extremely high body temperature.

Immediate emergency treatment is needed if these symptoms are present.

"Certainly, the biggest thing is prevention."

Conroy says if you do go outside, avoid the hottest times of the day.

Stay 17hydrated with a mix of water and sports drinks, wear breathable, light-colored, 18loose-fitting clothing.

And if you start to feel sick, get out of the heat.

"Get somewhere cool, get out of the wet clothing that you're in and start hydrating and cooling your body down."