For most of us, summer is the epitome of holidays, relaxing and fun. Enjoying the good times often overshadows alertness to our health.

Heat exhaustion is often accompanied by dizziness, nausea, general weakness and fatigue, headaches, profuse sweating, muscle cramps and a rapid heart-beat.

If you are experiencing these symptoms it is important to treat it quickly.  Untreated, heat exhaustion can quickly develop into the more serious problem of heat stroke.

3 steps to combating heat exhaustion:

Seek shade

If you are experiencing the above symptoms of heat exhaustion immediately get out of the heat. Preferably search for air conditioned room, or try to find any shade that you can.

Cool down

Take a cold shower or bath and use any other method available to cool your body down such as fans, cold towels and so on.

Avoid dehydration

As your body is sweating a lot in the heat make sure you drink plenty of liquids (avoiding alcohol and drinks with caffeine) to balance the loss of water. Wherever possible, try to consume a weak salt solution or electrolytic drink alongside.

If your condition does not improve in 30 minutes seek medical help immediately to avoid the progression towards heat stroke.