Heat Stroke Treatment for Children Q&A

If you believe that your child is suffering from heatstroke, there are several things that you can do to help them recover without the need of a visit to a clinic. First, it is important that your child stays inside a cool room for at least 24 hours and to ensure that they are drinking water, rehydration drinks, and juices to replenish their salt and minerals quickly. You can help to cool down the body temperature of the child by placing cool clothes on the back of their neck, their armpits, and their groin areas. If the heatstroke is severe and you are not able to get the child medical attention, wrap this child in damp clothes or a sheet and continuously re-wet the garments with cold water until their body temperature returns to normal.

Heat exhaustion is the pre-cursor to heat stroke, so anyone who develops heat stroke will have developed heat exhaustion first as one of the possible indicators that they may develop heat stroke soon if not sufficiently cooled down immediately. Heat stroke is considered a medical emergency and is past the point where just bringing the child inside to rest in a cool room and to replenish their electrolytes will be enough. It occurs when the body is creating more heat than it is able to release, meaning that it is unable to cool down the overall body temperature. In children, heat stroke can lead to brain damage or death if not addressed immediately with proper treatment. Both conditions require prompt treatment, but heat stroke may already be at the point where the child requires immediate emergency medical care, whereas heat exhaustion can likely be treated within a day or two at home with proper care.

The biggest indicators that someone is potentially suffering from heat exhaustion after being out in the sun for a while or in a space where they are unable to escape the heat include suffering from a headache, nausea, and feeling dizzy.

Some other symptoms that can confirm that you need to remove yourself or whoever is experiencing these symptoms from the heat include:

– A body temperature anywhere between 100˚ and 104˚ Fahrenheit
– Increased sweating
– Irritability
– Muscle cramping
– Skin that feels clammy and cold
– Vomiting
– Goose bumps
– Fainting

It cannot always be easy to know exactly if your child is displaying these symptoms, so it is highly recommended that you regularly check-in with them while spending time outside on a hot day to make sure that they are staying hydrated and are taking plenty of breaks by going indoors to cool off. Any signs of heat exhaustion means that the body needs to be cooled down as soon as possible to avoid developing into heat stroke, which will be much more dangerous.

While most children are able to start feeling better within half an hour from cooling down and replenishing fluids after suffering from heat exhaustion, heat stroke is not as quick for treatment and recovery. Children who have suffered from heat stroke will likely need several weeks before they can comfortably and safely be exposed to hot environments again as their body needs time to filly recover. The child will also likely need to be constantly kept cool through cold baths or being placed under cold wet sheets for up to 24 hours before the body temperate will return to normal. Heat stroke can occur fairly quickly and will worsen incredibly fast if emergency treatment is not provided immediately.

If your child is suffering from heatstroke, Dr. Usha Rani K. Reddy, M.D., at Reddy Urgent Care provides immediate and effective care to bring down the body temperature and prevent complications. For proper treatment and diagnosis, visit us at Reddy Urgent Care. For more information, contact us or schedule an appointment online. We have convenient locations in Bixby Knolls, Downtown Long Beach, and Paramount, CA. We serve patients from Bixby Knolls, Downtown Long Beach, Paramount, Belmont Shore, Shoreline Village, The Pike Outlets, Downtown Long Beach Station, The Westin Long Beach, Signal Hill, and Long Beach Boulevard, California.