Heat exhaustion or heatstroke?
In a UAE summer, the heat can catch anyone: builders, delivery riders, runners, grandparents. One of these needs rest and water. The other needs an ambulance. Can you tell them apart?
This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency call 998 (ambulance) or 999.
Spot the difference
Both come from the body getting too hot. The difference is whether its cooling system is still working.
Heat exhaustion
The body is struggling, but still coping.
- Heavy sweating
- Cold, pale, clammy skin
- Weakness and tiredness
- Dizziness and headache
- Feeling or being sick
- Fast, weak pulse
- Muscle cramps
Do: move them somewhere cool, loosen their clothes, cool their skin with wet cloths and give water to sip. Call 998 if they get worse, or aren't better within 30 minutes.
Heatstroke
The body can no longer cool itself. This is an emergency.
- Confusion or strange behaviour
- Slurred speech
- Fainting or collapsing
- Seizures (fits)
- Hot skin: dry, or still sweating
- Very high body temperature, often 40°C or more
Do: call 998 now. Move them somewhere cool and cool them fast: cold water, wet cloths and a fan, ice packs on the neck, armpits and groin. Only give sips of water if they are fully awake.
Staying safe in a UAE summer
From 15 June to 15 September, UAE law bans work in the open sun from 12:30 to 15:00. Employers must also give workers shade and drinking water.
For people working in the heat, CDC advice is about one cup of water every 15 to 20 minutes, even if you don't feel thirsty.
Older adults, babies and people with long-term illness overheat more easily and may not notice it. Check on them often, especially when the AC breaks.
Exercise early or late, wear light, loose, light-coloured clothes, and take breaks in the shade. Watch your workmates too: someone with heatstroke may not notice it in themselves.
Sources: CDC and NIOSH, "Heat-related illnesses" (signs and first aid, and water advice for workers); NHS, "Heat exhaustion and heatstroke" (including: get help if someone is not better after 30 minutes of rest and cooling); World Health Organization, "Heat and health" fact sheet; UAE Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation (MOHRE), the midday work break. The cases are made-up examples for learning, not real people. This is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency call 998 (ambulance) or 999. A certified first-aid course is the best way to be ready.