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Heat Illness

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Heat Illness

Summer weather means getting outside more, but too much heat can make you sick. Heat illness is caused by the body’s inability to cool down properly. The body’s temperature rises and cannot be cooled by sweating or the other ways the body cools itself.

Hot weather conditions can cause body temperature to rise to a dangerous level that could lead to illness or death. Heat illness includes heat stroke, collapse, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and other effects. Heat is a leading weather-related cause of death in the United States. To learn more about heat illness, check out the Heat Health and Safety (fact sheet).

Climate Change

Average temperatures are predicted to rise by 3° to 6°F in the Great Lakes region by 2050. This could cause more extreme heat events and heat-related illnesses in Michigan. Learn more about the climate and health at the Michigan Climate and Health Adaptation Program (MICHAP).