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Heat Cramps: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment and More

What Are the Causes of Heat Cramps?

Several factors such as activity, heat, and illness are responsible for heat cramps. Its exact causes are:

Dehydration and Electrolyte Loss

When you lose fluid or electrolytes excessively through any means, it can lead to heat cramps. Electrolytes like sodium are highly important in the body, so their absence of it can affect the normal function of the body.

Dehydration [1] is described as the loss of excess body fluids. Your blood is made up of fluids, which are highly vital to transport nutrients in the body. The absence of these fluids means the body is deprived of nutrients. You also need fluids to regulate your body temperature.

The causes of dehydration include:

  • Not drinking sufficient fluid
  • Sweating excessively
  • Performing strenuous activities, especially in the heat.
  • Having a high fever
  • Diarrhoea [2]
  • Vomiting [3]

It is difficult to observe several symptoms of dehydration in small children, infants and babies, so you must pay adequate attention to detect them on time. The symptoms of dehydration in adults include:

  • Thirst
  • Lack of moisture in the tongue and mouth
  • Headache
  • Dark urine

The symptoms of dehydration in infants are:

  • No wet diapers for more than 3 hours
  • Crying without tears
  • Sunken soft spots above the head (fontanelle)
  • Depressed cheeks and eyes.