The Warm Shoulder

   Similar to its cousin condition, hypothermia, hyperthermia is a human body condition when the body is exposed to extreme temperatures. Namely, extremely hot temperatures. There are ways that the human body deals with heat normally. For example, heat escapes through the skin. Blood vessels widen to submerge heated blood for cooling at the surface. Sweating also helps. However, sometimes the body is unable to perform these actions. Thus, hyperthermia sets in.
   Heat exhaustion is the most common type of hyperthermia. One who works for a long duration in the heat runs the risk of this when one's body loses massive amounts of fluids via sweating. A symptom respectively called heat cramps causes painful, abnormal, and instantaneous muscle movements.
   If heat exhaustion remains untreated, it may lead to a heatstroke. This happens as the body's sweating system malfunctions and sweating halts. The resulting overheating may damage essential organs.
   Treatment involves cooling and fluid restoration. Here's a detailed description give by World Book Online (Student):

   "Move the victim to a cool environment and provide cool water to drink. Loosen tight clothing and remove perspiration-soaked clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths to the skin and fan the victim.
If the victim refuses water, vomits, or begins to lose consciousness, call for medical help immediately. Cool the victim by applying ice packs or cold compresses to the head, neck, and places where large blood vessels are near the skin. A person suffering heatstroke may experience a heart attack or breathing failure, requiring artificial respiration or cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to be given."

Did you know?

In contradiction, hypothermia (spelled with an "o") happens when the body is extremely cold. Learn more on the article The Cold Shoulder.

This article is an extension to another article, The Cold Shoulder.