What are the symptoms of a heat stroke?

High body temperature and altered mental status are hallmark symptoms of heat stroke, which is a severe and potentially life-threatening condition resulting from prolonged exposure to high temperatures. When the body overheats, it loses its ability to regulate temperature, leading to a dangerous increase in core body temperature, often exceeding 104°F (40°C).

Altered mental status may manifest as confusion, agitation, disorientation, or even loss of consciousness, signaling that the body's cooling mechanisms have failed and that the brain has been adversely affected by the extreme heat. These symptoms indicate a need for immediate medical intervention because heat stroke can lead to serious complications such as organ failure and death if not addressed quickly.

In the context of the other options, fever and headache can be associated with various illnesses, chills and fatigue are more common in conditions like influenza, and nausea and vomiting can occur in multiple types of medical issues but are not specific to heat stroke. While these other symptoms may occur in different contexts, they do not define the critical characteristics of heat stroke like high body temperature and altered mental status do.