Practical strategies for prevention and treatment of heat-induced illness.

Heat-related illnesses can present with symptoms such as fatigue, cramps, and edema, and without intervention can progress to heat exhaustion or heat stroke. Across Canada, the number of days per year with temperatures above 30°C and nights per year with temperatures above 22°C is expected to increase owing to climate change, resulting in increased heat-related morbidity and mortality (Figure 1).1-3 Heat-related morbidity and mortality are preventable.1 Prevention strategies are best employed by primary care providers in spring and early summer, as the risk of heat-related illness and death is greatest when individuals have not yet acclimatized to the heat.1