Proper recognition and treatment are effective in preventing adverse outcomes. Several intrinsic and extrinsic factors increase the risk of heat-related illness, including medical conditions, environmental factors, medication use, and inadequate acclimatization.
Athletes, outdoor laborers, and military personnel are at greatest risk. Symptoms range from heat edema and exercise-associated muscle cramps to exercise-associated collapse, heat exhaustion, and life-threatening heat stroke. Heat-related illnesses comprise a spectrum of syndromes resulting from disruption of thermoregulation in people exposed to high environmental heat.
