Heat stroke, or hyperthermia, is where the body's internal temperature hits 104.9 F. Heat stroke occurs when someone has excessive exposure to hot weather elements, an increase in overall physical activity and lack of adequate fluid intake. All of these combined can also lead to heat stroke rapidly. This is a serious and life-threatening condition that needs immediate medical attention. If left untreated, heat stroke can lead to complete organ failure and death.
Shock
With heat stroke, the body begins to go into shock, which is caused from the body not being able to cool down properly after exertion or high levels of heat. Signs of shock include labored breathing, sweating, hallucinations, dizziness and chest pain. In some cases, it can cause the heart to go into cardiogenic shock. This is where the heart fails to pump and circulate blood throughout the body. Untreated shock can lead to central nervous system damage, seizures, brain damage, brain swelling, a comatose state and death.
Organ Damage
Damage to vital organs can easily occur from the body being affected by heatstroke. As the body temperature rises, vital organs are affected, starting with the heart, causing swelling referred to as pulmonary edema. This condition occurs when fluid begins to build up in and around the heart and lungs. This can make the heart pump faster, which leads to a rapid enlargement of the heart and possible heart failure. Irregular heart rhythms and cardiac arrest can occur without warning. It can also make breathing extremely difficult. Hypotension can also occur, which is a dangerously low blood pressure. Liver and kidney damage as well as other organs can begin to fail as long as temperatures remain high or continue to rise.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) happens as a direct response to the elevated core temperature of the body. Blood clots can begin to form inside of various blood vessels in the body. Proteins in the blood that regulate clotting begin to work overtime. As clots form throughout the body, this condition can be hard to treat. Clots can easily begin to block blood flow to vital organs, causing them to malfunction or shut down. An anticoagulant can be given, but the body's temperature has to be brought down first. In some cases, it can also lead to the patient bleeding uncontrollably, resulting in dangerously low levels of blood pressure.
