First Aid and Emergencies · Lesson 7 of 11 · 12 min

Heat illness in the Gulf: heat exhaustion and heatstroke

UAE summer temperatures can approach 50°C, and heat illness can affect fit, healthy teenagers playing sport, queuing outside or walking home at midday. Knowing the difference between heat exhaustion and heatstroke can save a life.

Heat exhaustion: the warning stage

NHS signs: tiredness, dizziness and headache; feeling sick or vomiting; heavy sweating with pale, clammy skin; cramps in the arms, legs or stomach; a high temperature; intense thirst; irritability.
Heat exhaustion does not usually need emergency help if the person can cool down within 30 minutes.
It can develop into heatstroke if it is not treated, so act as soon as you notice signs.
A UAE doctor interviewed by The National in 2024 said anyone outdoors in temperatures above 40°C for more than 15 minutes should 'think twice' and take a 10 minute break somewhere cool.

How to cool someone down

Move them to a cool place, such as an air-conditioned room, car or shade.
Remove unnecessary clothing, such as a jacket or socks.
Get them to drink plenty of water. A sports drink or oral rehydration solution can help replace salts lost in sweat.
Cool the skin: spray or sponge with cool water and fan them. Cold packs wrapped in cloth under the armpits or on the neck also help.
Stay with them. They should start to feel better within about 30 minutes.

Heatstroke: a medical emergency

NHS signs of heatstroke: a very high temperature, hot skin that is not sweating, fast breathing or a fast heartbeat, confusion and restlessness, a seizure, or loss of consciousness.
Call 998 if someone has signs of heatstroke, or if they are still unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, cooling and drinking fluids.
While you wait, keep cooling them: wet sheet, fanning, cool water.
If they lose consciousness, put them in the recovery position (lesson fa-02) and keep checking their breathing.
UAE doctors interviewed in 2024 stressed that confusion or weakness in the heat needs emergency care.

Prevention in a Gulf summer

The NHS advises avoiding the sun between 11am and 3pm. In the UAE, the government's summer midday break bans outdoor work in direct sun from 12:30pm to 3pm (15 June to 15 September in 2025), a useful guide to the riskiest hours.
Drink water regularly before you feel thirsty, and more when active; the Dubai Health Authority's summer guide emphasises drinking enough water.
Wear light, loose, light-coloured clothing, plus sunscreen and sunglasses.
Plan sport and outdoor activities for early morning or evening, and take breaks in shade or air conditioning.
UAE doctors warn that caffeinated drinks can worsen dehydration, and that you should cool down without getting so cold that you shiver.

Look out for others

Check on younger children, older relatives and anyone with a long-term condition such as diabetes or heart problems, as the NHS says they are at higher risk.
Never leave a child or anyone else in a parked car, even briefly.
If a friend becomes confused or stops making sense during sport in the heat, stop the activity, cool them and get help.
Outdoor workers, delivery riders and others who cannot avoid the heat are at risk too; offering water is a simple kindness.

Practise in real life

Tick each one off when you have done it.

Check the weather app each day this week and plan any outdoor activity outside the hottest hours.
Keep a refillable water bottle with you and track how much you drink in a hot day.
Tell a friend the three heatstroke red flags: confusion, hot skin without sweating, loss of consciousness.

Remember

Heat exhaustion: heavy sweating, dizziness, cramps. Cool down and drink water.
Not better within 30 minutes, or any heatstroke sign: call 998.
Heatstroke red flags: confusion, hot skin without sweating, seizure, collapse.
Avoid the midday sun, drink water, wear light loose clothing.

Note: This lesson is general information, not a substitute for a certified first aid course with hands-on practice. In the UAE, the Emirates Red Crescent runs first aid training (for example with universities), and in 2022 Abu Dhabi Police's Directorate of Emergency and Public Safety offered CPR, basic life support and AED courses through the TAMM portal for people over 16; check current dates and fees directly, or look for an accredited provider near you. Most step-by-step guidance here comes from UK bodies (St John Ambulance, NHS, British Red Cross), which say 'call 999 or 112'. In the UAE, 999 is police: for a medical emergency call 998 (ambulance), as listed on the UAE Government Portal. First aid steps follow the NHS. US CDC pages could not be loaded for this lesson. The midday break dates are from the 2025 announcement; check each year's dates. The Dubai Health Authority's 2023 guide covers heat illness, but its first aid steps were not available online, so NHS steps are used.

Check yourself

1. Which sign suggests heatstroke rather than heat exhaustion?

2. Someone has heat exhaustion. After how long without improvement should you call an ambulance, according to the NHS?

3. Which is a recommended way to cool someone with heat exhaustion?

4. During what hours does the NHS advise avoiding the sun?

5. A friend with suspected heatstroke collapses but is breathing. What do you do?