Heat exhaustion and heatstroke easy read
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke
Heat exhaustion
What it is:
Heat exhaustion happens when your body gets too hot and cannot cool down properly.
Signs to look for:
- Feeling very tired or weak
- Feeling dizzy or faint
- Headache
- Muscle cramps
- Feeling sick or being sick (vomiting)
- Sweating a lot
- Very thirsty
What to do:
1. Move to a cool or shaded place
2. Take off extra clothing
3. Drink cool water or a rehydration drink
4. Cool your skin with water, a damp cloth, or cold packs (neck and armpits work well)
Most people start to feel better within 30 minutes.
Heatstroke (emergency)
What it is:
Heatstroke is very serious. It happens when the body cannot control its temperature anymore.
Signs to look for:
- Confusion or strange behaviour
- Poor coordination (trouble walking or moving properly)
- Fast heartbeat
- Fast breathing or struggling to breathe
- Hot skin (may stop sweating)
- Seizures
What to do:
- Call 999 immediately
- Move the person to a cool place
- Start cooling them while waiting for help
Thank you to the British Gas Energy Trust for their generous grant, funding this work.
This Easy Read Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing. was first published 22/06/2026.
Last updated: 22/06/2026.