heatstroke

Everyday

A dangerous illness when your body gets far too hot (from hot sun or hard exercise in heat) and cannot cool itself down; it can cause confusion, fainting and even death without help. tree →

In the lessons

In health and safety lessons: prevent heatstroke by drinking water, wearing a hat, staying in the shade, resting in the hottest part of the day, and never leaving children or pets in a hot car. Signs: very hot dry or red skin, headache, confusion, fainting. Call emergency services, move the person to the shade and cool them with water. Milder stage: heat exhaustion.

Examples

• Drink lots of water on hot days to avoid heatstroke. tree →
• Never leave a dog in a hot car; it can get heatstroke. tree →
• The runner collapsed with heatstroke. tree →
• Heatstroke is an emergency – call an ambulance. tree →
• Wear a hat and stay in the shade to prevent heatstroke. tree →
• Babies and old people get heatstroke more easily. tree →

Note

Uncountable. Written as one word or two (heat stroke). «Sunstroke» is heatstroke caused by the sun. It is not a stroke in the brain-blood sense, though the name is similar. Heat exhaustion is milder but can turn into heatstroke.