You don't have much time to act when someone develops symptoms of heat stroke. This is an emergency condition caused by extreme heat and humidity, causing the body to lose its ability to regulate temperature. Treatment and emergency medical intervention should begin immediately.
Get Inside
If you notice someone is beginning to look flushed with dry skin, get her inside right away. Look for other symptoms such as confusion, fever, headache or nausea. Wet a washcloth with cool water and put it on her forehead. Keep wetting the washcloth and alternately putting it on her neck and forehead. If someone else is available, get her to call 911 to get emergency medical help.
If you can, get the victim to drink cool water, juices, glucose or sports drinks. Do not offer alcoholic beverages, because this will dehydrate her further and make her condition worse. Have her lie down and elevate her feet slightly.
Remove Clothes
According to the Robert Wood Johnson hospital staff, you should remove the victim's clothing (shirt and pants) so he can have more of his skin exposed to the indoor air. Turn a fan on and direct the air stream toward him as well. While you are doing this, keep re-wetting the washcloth and replacing it on his forehead. If at all possible, find a sheet and wet it down with cool water and put it over her body so the moisture and air from the fan will simulate body sweating. This will help bring the body temperature down. Bringing his body temperature down is the most important goal in your efforts.
Wash Down With Cool Cloths
Keep sponging her forehead with a cool, wet cloth and replace the wet sheet. Make sure you keep the fan blowing cool air on her; it is the evaporation process which will ultimately help her to get cool, not the water.
Ice Packs
Take ice packs and put them on his groin area, under her armpits and on his neck. Make sure you monitor her temperature frequently (every 10 minutes) to make sure he doesn't cool down too much and become hypothermic. According to Dr. Eric A. Weiss, Professor of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, you don't want to cool the victim to the point where she begins shivering. Shivering is the body's mechanism for warming up, and he will begin to increase her temperature again.
Tags: cool water, with cool, body temperature, body temperature down, emergency medical, Make sure, temperature down