Sunstroke on holiday in Mallorca

Sunstroke: spotting the symptoms

The typical symptoms of sunstroke are headache, dizziness, nausea and a bright red, hot head while body temperature is otherwise normal — often only hours after sunbathing, frequently in the evening.

• Severe headache and dizziness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stiff neck
• Raised body temperature
• Reddened, hot head
• Confusion or impaired consciousness

Sunstroke or heatstroke? The difference

The decisive difference: with sunstroke only the head is overheated, with heatstroke the whole body — and heatstroke is a medical emergency.This distinction decides whether you cool down and wait, or call 112 straight away.

Sunstroke: head and neck are hot and reddened, while the skin on the rest of the body stays normally cool. Body temperature is normal or only slightly raised. The delayed onset is typical — symptoms often start hours after sunbathing, frequently in the evening.

Heatstroke: core body temperature rises above 40 °C / 104 °F, the skin is hot and often dry because sweating has failed. Confusion, disorientation, seizures or unconsciousness are added to this. This is not a case for waiting: call the European emergency number 112 immediately, move the person into the shade and cool them until the ambulance arrives.

If you are unsure which of the two you are dealing with, treat it as heatstroke. That is the safe direction to be wrong in.

First aid

1. 1 Move into shade or a cool room immediately
2. 2 Lie flat with the head slightly elevated
3. 3 Place cool, damp cloths on head and neck
4. 4 Drink plenty of water (slowly, in small sips)
5. 5 Wear loose, lightweight clothing
6. 6 Cool the body with damp cloths (not ice-cold!)

How long does sunstroke last?

Mild sunstroke usually settles within 12 to 24 hours — provided you stay consistently in the cool, drink enough and avoid the sun. Headache and a feeling of being wrung out can linger for another day or two.

My rule of thumb on holiday: if you are not clearly better after 24 hours of rest, you should be seen by a doctor. The same applies if symptoms improve first and then get worse again — that is not a normal course.

Plan the following day realistically: a day out of direct sun, no long beach day, no alcohol. Go back into the sun too early and you will have the sunstroke again the same evening.

Sunstroke in children

Children get sunstroke faster than adults: their head is proportionally larger, their hair often thinner and their temperature regulation not yet fully developed. In babies and toddlers, short spells in full sun are enough.

Watch for: fretfulness and restlessness for no obvious reason, striking tiredness, vomiting, a hot red head while the rest of the body is normally cool, and refusing to drink.

The first steps are the same as for adults — shade, lie flat with the head slightly raised, cool damp cloths on head and neck, and let them sip fluids.

With children I react earlier than with adults. If your child is apathetic, cannot be properly roused, vomits repeatedly or has a seizure, call the European emergency number 112 at once. I am a doctor for acute holiday complaints, including in children — but I am not a paediatrician and no substitute for a paediatrician, an emergency department or 112.

Prevention

Frequently asked questions