Final answer:
Hyperthermia involves a body temperature elevation caused by an overwhelmed heat-regulation system, leading to symptoms like high fever, and can be managed by moving to a cooler environment, hydration, and medical intervention in severe cases.
Step-by-step explanation:
Signs & Symptoms of Hyperthermia
Hyperthermia occurs when the body's heat-regulation system is overwhelmed by excessive heat, leading to abnormally high body temperatures. It is critical to recognize the signs and symptoms which can include high fever, headache, nausea and vomiting, increased heart rate, and in severe cases, hypotension, petechial rash, and even potentially fatal ischemia due to blood coagulation. Heat emergencies such as heatstroke can also involve symptoms like confusion, body aches, profuse sweating, difficulty sleeping, and if left untreated, it may lead to complications like kidney failure and death.
Management of Hyperthermia
The management of hyperthermia includes moving to a cooler environment, hydration, and applying cool, damp cloths to the body. In the crisis phase, the body's hypothalamus stimulates vasodilation and sweating to release heat. It's essential for the individual to drink plenty of fluids to compensate for the water loss from sweating, which is vital for cooling the body. In severe cases, medical intervention is necessary to stabilize the patient, and measures such as an artificial heart-lung machine may be used during treatment.
Note that hyperthermia is different from hyperthyroidism, which is an abnormally elevated level of thyroid hormone leading to symptoms like weight loss, increased metabolic rate, and excess sweat, but is not caused by environmental heat.