Advertisement

Heat exhaustion or heat stroke? Here's how to tell the difference

With most of Canada in the midst of a sweltering stretch of overheating, it’s a good time to know the difference between uncomfortable and unsafe.

An infographic is making the rounds on Tumblr that offers some simple education on the differences between heat exhaustion and heat strike, to help you tell when you should take a water break, and when you should seek medical attention.

 
 


Feel faint or dizzy? Sweating a lot? It’s probably just heat exhaustion (which is still a serious thing to which you should attend immediately). But if you stop sweating or get a headache, that’s very bad and you need to find a doctor right away.

The graphic was originally distributed by the Sacramento County Office of Emergency Services (OES). The OES seems to be taking heat-related emergencies very seriously this summer; on Wednesday its officers tried to bake cookies on a dashboard to show how hot it gets inside a car in the summer (it worked, although the cookies were a bit mushy).

With summer in full force, you should also be concerned about sun stroke, which comes as a result of prolonged exposure to direct sunlight. It can occur even if the temperature is a bit lower; but the symptoms are similar to those of heat stroke.