Overview
Heat cramps are a form of heat illness. Heat illness occurs when a person's core body temperature rises above a safe level of the body's internal temperature range. Heat cramps are the earliest sign of heat illness. Loss of salt in the body due to excessive perspiring causes the painful, involuntary muscle spasms. If the person does not take precautions to cool off and rehydrate at this point, more severe stages of heat illness will occur in a rapid progression, resulting in a
potentially life-threatening situation.
See the Heat Exhaustion or Heatstroke topics via the Disease List if later stages of heat illness are suspected.
First Aid Guide
Use a combination of the following measures, depending on the circumstances and means available:
- Have the person rest in a shaded area or cool or air-conditioned building, room, or car.
- Give the person an electrolyte beverage, such as Gatorade® or Pedialyte®, or water if not available. Note: You can make a salted drink by adding 1 teaspoon of salt to one quart of water.
- Pour water over the person or spray with a hose. Note: Do not do this if the person is disoriented.
- Wrap the person in wet cloth, and position a fan toward him/her. Evaporation of water on the skin aids in cooling.
- Apply cold compresses (eg, to neck, armpits, groin).
- Attempt to relax the cramped muscles by massaging them gently but firmly.
If possible, take the person's temperature while starting cooling measures and continue to check his/her temperature every few minutes. Once it has gone down to 100° F, you can discontinue cooling measures but continue to check the person's temperature every 30 minutes for 3
–4 hours.
