dee, how scary and awful for you. How are you feeling now? I'm 72 and I've never been a big water drinker, so I have to keep reminding myself to do so. I wonder if your high humidity was a factor.

Wow, it doesn't seem like 45 minutes should do that, but it guess it can! Good reminder to stay hydrated all the time.

That is truly frightening. I think your body becomes incapable of regulating its temperature. I remember this happening to someone as we were playing tennis in the morning of a stinking hot day. We quickly put cold compresses on the back of her neck.

My friend''s husband ended up overnight in the hospital last Monday from heat exhaustion. He's not much of a water drinker either and had been outside in the heat painting his fence with another neighbor. He collapsed and then was vomiting. My friend's a retired nurse so she knew what to do, but her husband had had a heart attack several years ago and she didn't want to take any chances so she called 911. ER Docs kept him overnight. My friend's been telling him for years about drinking fluids, but it went in one year and out the other until this week.

A couple of years ago I was researching the most important nutrients for the elderly for my mom. Every single list that I saw started with water.

Apparently you can start to lose your sense of thirst by your early 50's so it's really important to make that effort. I'm 64 and always have a glass of water on the counter which I drink and always have a bottle of water in the car.

It's particularly important in the elderly to maintain brain function (apparently) and to prevent dizziness. Dizziness leads to falls.

We are at our lake house for the summer, and I am used to being outdoors: sitting by the water, sitting on the (covered) porch, boating, walking our 3 dogs. Normally, I have a cup full of ice water next to me, and drink only water throughout the day and with meals. The rapidity (I MAY have been talking more than an hour) with which this occurred was very frightening. And, thank you Linelle. I am feeling better, though still a bit spooked.

DH is suffering from heat exhaustion as we speak. Slight fever, weakness, headache. It is scary. He's better today but is still sleeping a ton. My brother suffered from a heat stroke which disabled him and so I find this very scary serious indeed. Thanks for bringing this to others' attention.

Wow, thanks for the warning!

It is a horrible, frightening, dangerous thing. A number of years ago, we were in Pasadena, California, with a college alumni group to watch our beloved Sooners play football there. The day at the game had been a very hot one. Getting back on board our chartered bus, we immediately noticed that the air conditioning was not working. A number of the men complained to the driver. This guy, the driver, totally lost it, screaming obscenities at us, refusing to let us open the windows. When some did anyway, he veered off the route back to our hotel, got on an interstate, got off, got on, got off. This, sadly, in the days before mass cell phone usage and service. We were basically kidnapped and on a obscenity-laced, speeding ride. He finally veered off into a gorgeous, tall tree lined area of old mansions when I suddenly became violently ill with heat stroke, stood up, and then passed out. Women started screaming DH told me. Men started shouting that I was dying. The driver panicked, stopping the bus. My DH and other men picked me up and used my feet as a battering ram to force the bus door open. Everyone else on board quickly followed us out. The bus driver zoomed away. I awoke, lying on cool grass under huge shade trees, covered with (leaking) bags of ice from the surrounding neighbors and from the local fire rescue units. I was surrounded by a huge ring of fellow alumni and curious neighbors. I was so sick and so embarassed! One of the EMTs asked me what else he could do for me. My answer was to please cover my face as it was awful having everyone staring down at me when I felt so badly . . . and looked it, too! I ended up in the hospital there in Pasadena, with IVs running non-stop for quite some time. I never want to get that ill again! Heat exhaustion is very frightening and dangerous. Needless to say, the crazy bus driver was fired and prosecuted. The bus company paid all my medical expenses, but our Pasadena vacation and planned trip the next day to Disneyland was ruined.

Yes, thanks for sharing. Sending healing thoughts your way.

Not related to heat exhaustion but a couple of years ago I suddenly became extremely fatigued in the middle of the day. I went out in our courtyard to lie down on a lounge chair in the shade (a nice day, not particularly hot) to attempt to take a quick nap. When I was unable to sleep I attempted to get up but became dizzy. I laid back down, became dizzier, then nauseous followed by severe vomiting. I believe it was inner ear related; we had just returned from a cruise and I believe it may have been related to that. It did take a couple of weeks for the inner ear to return to normal.

Anyway, my Pilates instructor was telling me that she heard a speaker (do not remember her occupation but IIRC she was in the medical field) say that if you do have an episode of vertigo, do not lie down and instead find a focal point and concentrate on it; that this can often times restore balance. I wish I'd known that then because it was the most awful thing I've ever experienced. I imagine better hydration could also have helped to ward it off. We live in a dry climate and dehydration is always a concern.

yeonassky, I hope your husband is feeling better now. And, dsg2015, I'll remember that tip. My inclination is to lie down if I feel dizzy.

dee, thanks for the reminder. I had an episode last summer and NEVER want a repeat.

It was a hot humid day and I went for a bike ride, short like 10 miles. My water bottle leaked mysteriously so I think I only got about a 1/4 of it. As I approached the last leg of the ride, I started to feel really sick. I go to the small hill right before the turn off to my road and wondered if I would make it home without vomiting. I got to my driveway and wondered if I would make it all the way up the driveway. I didnt, but I did make it to the flat part of the drive way where it is bordered by soft grass. I basically stopped pedaling, and passed out. I woke to dog licks on my face and crawled, bleeding into the house. I broke two fingers and had lots of bruises and abrasions.

I still feel rather ridiculous that I was so overcome by such a short ride. It's nice to know that it happens that way sometimes, and I am not alone.

Oh, my gosh, localeater! How awful! I guess I should consider myself lucky for not suffering any injury.

Thank you for the warning dee. I got heat exhaustion when I was 13 playing tennis in the Texas heat. I was violently sick to my stomach. It was frightening. I am glad you recovered quickly. I don't drink much as a rule. I will make sure to pay more attention to keeping hydrated.

Thank you Dee. He is very slightly better today. It is shocking how exhausted and weak he feels. We are both very active 60 year olds, so he's not used to being weak at all. He sends his thanks as well and we both hope you are better.

Localeater I agree with Dee, that does sound awful! And scary! So glad you were able to get to the house.

My sister had very bad vertigo and found the Brandt-Daroff lying down exercise and deep yoga breathing to be helpful. I'll tell her about staring at a spot too.

I was supposed to volunteer for an event yesterday but we've had extremely high temps and our air quality is rated as dangerous due to smoke from forest fires. I got a reminder call on Friday and I regretfully declined. I knew I couldn't handle the heat and poor air quality for the 4 hours in the sun, even though it was a cause very dear to me.

I've wised up in my 'old' age. 5 years ago I would have tried to tough it out, but not now. It's just not worth the risk.

What frightening stories-Lynn I cannot imagine an ordeal like yours.

Our oldest DS works in a remote state park, and he had to be part of a rescue mission this summer for a young man who died of heat exhaustion. It seems that every day I hear more stories like this one. The doctor who died recently in the Grand Canyon is another tragic one.

Unfortunately, I think these incidents will continue to increase as our planet warms.

Thanks Dee. I have to really work at getting enough water and this is a good reminder.