What are the signs of sunstroke?

The first signs of sunstroke are mainly headaches, sensitivity to light and noise. As a rule, the person affected can identify the sun radiation as the cause, because the temporal connection between sunbathing and the first symptoms often proves to be timely and plausible. A bright red head, a feeling of heat or dizziness can also be the first signs of the beginning symptoms.

Often a certain inner restlessness or a ringing in the ears but also exhaustion or dizziness can be observed as signs of sunstroke. Because it is not always clear to the layman what these symptoms are and in some cases the symptoms only become stronger after a few hours, a doctor should be consulted. This doctor will find diagnostic tools to exclude other potentially dangerous diseases and to treat them quickly if necessary.

Associated symptoms

Accompanying symptoms of sunstroke can be nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. In addition to the first signs of sunstroke, the above mentioned symptoms may become more intense, but not all of them have to occur completely. Apart from the above mentioned sensation of heat, fever is rarely observed.

If it is a particularly severe case of sunstroke, it is possible that a brain edema develops. This leads to an increased pressure in the skull due to water retention, which can cause so-called cerebral pressure signs. These are, on the one hand, the diffuse headaches, nausea and vomiting mentioned above – especially torrential sobering vomiting.

The duration of these symptoms can vary from person to person and depends on the duration of exposure to the sun. In most cases, the symptoms begin two to three hours after spending time outdoors.Depending on how adequate the treatment is, headaches and nausea can persist for several hours and can be distressing for the person affected. If after a few hours and adequate fluid intake, as well as staying in the shade and cooling, there is no improvement and further deterioration, a doctor should be consulted.

After one day, the previously existing complaints should have weakened or disappeared. A sufficient fluid intake and physical rest should have brought improvement overnight. At best, a feeling of exhaustion and slight headaches may remain.

Definitely, sufficient protective measures should be taken the next time you sunbathe, which are recommended below. If the symptoms described above still persist after one day, a doctor should be consulted to prevent and treat more serious processes. The heat transmitted by the sun’s rays irritates the meninges, which are very strongly interwoven with nerves and become directly noticeable after overstraining.

In addition to headaches, radiating neck complaints are often described. Cooling with damp towels or cool pads can bring relief. Nausea is another typical symptom of sunstroke.

The above-mentioned irritation of the cerebral membranes due to the increased heat load, irritates regions in the brain which can cause nausea and vomiting. This can be promoted by a slight cerebral edema, i.e. increased water retention due to a slight inflammatory component of the sunstroke. It is therefore not untypical that nausea and vomiting can also occur in the context of sunstroke.

If the nausea is too strong it is advisable to consult a doctor. In addition to the symptoms already explained, diarrhoea can also become part of the symptoms of sunstroke. The physical stress caused by the heat causes an increased release of stress hormones, which also affect the gastrointestinal tract and lead to increased intestinal activity.

This results in a reduced water absorption of the intestine from the food to be digested. This then manifests itself in more liquid stools than usual. It is important to make sure that there is sufficient fluid intake.

The distinction between sunstroke and heat stroke is also based on body temperature. Only heat stroke causes an increase in the body core temperature, i.e. the development of fever and other more serious consequences than sunstroke. If fever is suspected to develop when sunstroke is suspected, a doctor should be consulted, because heat stroke can also lead to meningitis, for example.