What is the appropriate response for a person with a heat stroke?

For someone experiencing heat stroke, the appropriate response is to move them to a cooler area and cool their body with water or ice packs. Heat stroke is a serious condition characterized by an elevated body temperature, typically above 104°F (40°C), accompanied by symptoms such as confusion, altered mental state, and organ dysfunction. Rapid intervention is crucial to prevent severe complications or death.

Cooling the person is vital because their body is unable to regulate temperature effectively due to heat-related illness. By moving them to a cooler environment, you can help lower their body temperature more efficiently. Applying water or ice packs to strategic areas of the body, such as the neck, armpits, and groin, where major blood vessels are located, enhances heat dissipation and helps reduce the overall body temperature quickly.

In contrast, keeping someone in a warm environment or offering them tea does not address their urgent need to cool down and can exacerbate their condition. Encouraging them to drink cold beverages is beneficial only if they are fully conscious and able to swallow without risk, but it does not replace the need for immediate cooling. Similarly, applying a heating pad would worsen their hyperthermia and is contraindicated in this situation.