user: Heatstroke symptoms and treatment
updated 5:17 PM EDT, Wed June 25, 2014

(CNN) -- Heatstroke deaths often surge in summer months as temperatures rise.

Your normal body temperature is around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit; with heatstroke the body can warm up to 106 degrees F or higher in 10 to 15 minutes.

Unlike heat exhaustion, a milder form of heat-related illness, heatstroke causes the skin to become red or hot; your pulse quickens and becomes stronger. If not treated immediately, heatstroke can lead to death or permanent disability.

Heatstroke symptoms include an elevation of body temperature, lack of sweating, headaches, nausea and vomiting. Neurological symptoms, such as confusion and unconsciousness, can also result from extreme exposure to heat, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Elderly people and young children, as well as people with chronic severe illnesses, have the highest risk of developing the condition. People with kidney, liver and heart problems in particular should be extra aware of the heat, experts say, and should talk with their doctors about heat exposure.

If you believe someone is having a heatstroke, the CDC recommends moving him or her to a cooler location, calling 911 and using damp cloths or a cool bath to help lower his or her body temperature. Do not give the victim any fluids.

In severe cases, patients must be admitted to the intensive care unit, where medical staff watch body temperature carefully.

"If you can get them to treatment fairly quickly, they'll survive it," said Dr. Janyce Sanford, chair of emergency medicine at the University of Alabama, Birmingham.

Treatment focuses on cooling the patient down to a normal body temperature. If the patient has a clear airway, breathes normally and has normal circulation, Sanford said medical staff will remove his or her clothes and spray cool water while a fan is blowing. Cool intravenous fluids can also help bring body temperature down.

To protect yourself, try to avoid strenuous physical activity outside during the hottest time of the day -- between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

People who must work outside should make sure to drink plenty of water every half-hour or so and take breaks in a cool environment if possible, Sanford said. Wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing and a wide-brimmed hat can also help, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The CDC also stresses that no one should be left in a closed, parked vehicle. In 2013, the number of confirmed heatstroke deaths of children left in cars was 39, reports Jan Null, a certified consulting meteorologist with San Francisco State University.

You can tell if you're dehydrated by looking at your urine. If you've had adequate amounts of water, your urine will be light in color; a darker yellow or orange means you need to drink more.

And make sure you check on the elderly, especially if they don't have air conditioning. They should spend time in cool places such as a library or a mall to get a break from the heat, Sanford said.

5 tips for surviving extreme heat

CNN's Elizabeth Landau and Sara Cheshire contributed to this report.
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Heatstroke can cause permanent disability or death if not treated immediately. Learn about heatstroke symptoms, treatment and prevention.
NEEDIEST CASES FUND CLOSES 69TH APPEAL
The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund ended its 69th annual appeal yesterday having received a total of $1,265,351.87 from 10,008 contributors.

For the 11th consecutive year, the campaign raised more than $1 million and for the second consecutive year, the total exceeded $1.2 million. The money - contributed by a diversity of donors that included schoolchildren, foundations and corporations - is distributed by eight private social agencies that provide help to the needy and the distressed in the New York City area.

Although the appeal has formally ended, the fund remains open and contributions can be made throughout the year. The appeal traditionally begins on the third Sunday before Christmas and continues through the following February. Agencies participating in the effort provide year-round help from the fund.

The 69th annual appeal fell slightly short of the record-breaking $1,271,258.07 contributed last year, apparently as a result of unfavorable economic conditions that left a smaller start-up fund when the drive began last December. The 1980-81 appeal opened with accumulated donations of $457,176.88 from individuals, foundations and trusts and estates, compared with $625,509.76 the previous year. 'Special Measure of Generosity'

Fred M. Hechinger, president of The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, said: ''The response to this year's drive, at a time of high inflation and economic uncertainty, showed a special measure of generosity. Hundreds of new donors joined the ranks of old supporters. In expressing the fund's gratitude, I speak for the many who benefited from this expression of caring. Although another drive has ended, I am confident that contributions will continue.''

The Neediest Cases Fund was established in 1912 by the late Adolph S. Ochs, then the publisher of The New York Times, in response to reports of distress and poverty among many New York City residents. In that first year, 117 contributors gave a total of $3,603.88 and three established social agencies working with the needy provided lists of cases they considered most urgent.

All administrative costs related to the fund are met by The Times. There is no solicitation outside of the pages of The Times and broadcasts of its radio stations, WQXR and WQXR-FM. Proceeds of a 'Readathon'

Contributions to the 69th annual appeal have ranged from the accumulated collections of coins from schoolchildren to donations of tens of thousands of dollars from affluent individuals, charitable foundations and corporate offices.

Among the most recent donations was one of $50 from Barbara Strull's third-grade class at the North Cliff School in Englewood Cliffs, N.J.

Monika Kulkarni, the class representative, wrote that the donation was the result of a 10-cents-a-book ''readathon.'' The Neediest Cases Fund was the chosen beneficiary, she said, ''because we were studying cities in our social studies book and we found out that cities need money for the poor people.''

A joint contribution of $244, made to ''bring some warmth and joy to those in need,'' came from 20 musicians of the New York City Ballet Orchestra. Fred and Jane Gurzeler of New Rochelle, N.Y., gave $10 in gratitude to two New York City police officers ''who came to our aid last May 15 when we were stranded in New York after a Lincoln Center performance when we had car trouble.'' Tragedies Inspire Charity

Tragedy, historic events and the deaths of loved ones and noted persons frequently inspired donations. Scores of contributors sent gifts in memory of John Lennon, the former Beatle, who was shot to death outside his apartment house in Manhattan last December.

Many donors celebrated the release in January of the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran, while others gave in memory of well-known individuals such as Gov. Ella Grasso of Connecticut; Dorothy Day, the Roman Catholic social activist and writer, and Lord Mountbatten of Burma, the British statesman and World War II naval hero who was killed by Irish terrorists.

The long-past assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., also continued to motivate memorial donations.

But for most contributors, the inspiration to give was the contrast of their own good fortune with the despair and loneliness of others, or the misfortune that they saw around them.

Miriam Feldman of the Bronx gave $5 with the hope that it ''could relieve to whatever degree possible the immeasurable amount of suffering and anguish that is so pervasive in our very troubled city.'' Recorded yesterday $ 25,928.18 Previously recorded 1,239,423.69 ------ Total $1,265,351.87
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assistant: The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund ended its 69th annual appeal yesterday having received a total of $1,265,351.87 from 10,008 contributors.   For the 11th consecutive year, the campaign raised more than $1 million and for the second consecutive year, the total exceeded $1.2 million. The money - contributed by a diversity of donors that included schoolchildren, foundations and corporations - is distributed by eight private social agencies that provide help to the needy and the distressed in the New York City area.   Although the appeal has formally ended, the fund remains open and contributions can be made throughout the year. The appeal traditionally begins on the third Sunday before Christmas and continues through the following February. Agencies participating in the effort provide year-round help from the fund.