Prevention and Treatment of Heat Illness

The most effective radical treatment for heat illness is its prevention. Once prevention fails, symptomatic therapies such as cooling the body and supporting impaired organs are the only remaining treatment options. In order to prevent heat illness, it is essential to understand the types of environment that can lead to heat illness and the types of situations in which heat cannot be endured or avoided. Preventing heat illness aggravation also requires a citizen to understand the symptoms of heat illness, diagnose the condition early, and start treatment promptly. Mortality is particularly related to the duration of hyperthermia, and therefore, it is also important to understand the need for prompt and appropriate emergency care, including body cooling. Focusing on these points, we describe the risk factors and preventive measures for heat illness on the basis of recent heat illness cases, as well as discuss the main clinical treatment practices and their effectiveness, in the hope of contributing to heat illness care as global warming progresses.