What is heat exhaustion?

As our bodies get hotter, our blood pressure drops as blood vessels dilate to help keep us cool. As a result, our hearts start to work harder to keep pumping blood through the body.

This blood pressure drop, when combined with a loss of fluid and salt due to increased sweating, can start to cause mild symptoms such as itchy skin and swollen feet, or a faster pulse, and can develop into heat exhaustion – a precursor to heat stroke.

“Heat exhaustion is mostly down to dehydration through sweating and failure to replenish body fluids,” says Dr Zoe Watson, GP and founder of wellbeing platform Wellgood Wellbeing, who suggests you may experience any of the following:

Dizziness
Nausea
Feeling faint
Tiredness
Headache and or
Loss of appetite

Any of these symptoms are warning signs that your body isn’t coping well with the heat, and you’re at risk of becoming dehydrated, you need to take action.

“Remove yourself from the sun to cool down, and rehydrate yourself,” advises Dr Watson. “You will start to feel better, but if left untreated, heat exhaustion can turn into heat stroke.”

So don’t ignore these warning signs, however much you’re enjoying yourself.

Heat stroke v heat exhaustion: how to tell the difference and stay safe in the sun this summer