Subscribe to one of our news e-mail lists. Doctors fear that the death toll, now in the dozens, will continue to rise with the temperatures if people don't learn to recognize the danger signs and find some relief from the heat. The body cools itself off by sweating, but in extreme heat such as the Eastern third of the country has been experiencing, sweating isn't enough to protect your body. Getting plenty of liquids and spending limited time outside are crucial to your well-being.
Heat exhaustion is the early sign that the body needs to rehydrate.
Surprisingly, if you checked with a thermometer, the body temperature could be near normal. The body says, we're getting low on fluid, we need fluid for circulation, the brain, the kidneys and other critical areas. If the symptoms are recognized, the victim usually recovers by resting and drinking fluids. If the symptoms are ignored, the victim can develop potentially lethal heat stroke. Heat stroke can happen within 10 to 15 minutes of the first symptoms.