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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffA possible complication of heatstroke is shock, which is a condition caused by a sudden loss of blood flow. Signs of shock include a very low blood pressure, blue lips and nails, and cool, clammy skin. Shock can damage your organs if it's not treated quickly.
If you don't act quickly on the other symptoms of heatstroke, you could die or experience damage to your brain or other vital organs. In response to heatstroke, these organs swell, and if you don't cool your body temperature quickly, the damage from this swelling could be permanent.
- Extreme heat: A prevention guide to promote your personal health and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp. Accessed July 7, 2009.
- Heatstroke. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec21/ch318/ch318d.html. Accessed July 7, 2009.
- Zimmerman JL, et al. Hyperthermia. In: Hall JB, et al. Principles of Critical Care. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Professional; 2005. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2282701. Accessed July 7, 2009.
- Bouchama A, et al. Heat stroke. New England Journal of Medicine. 2002; 346:1978.
- Hyperthermia: Too hot for your health. National Institute on Aging. http://www.nia.nih.gov/HealthInformation/Publications/hyperthermia.htm. Accessed July 7, 2009.
