Which of the following are symptoms of heat exhaustion?

• A. Profuse sweating, pale skin, dizziness, hyperventilation, and rapid pulse
• B. Shivering, pale skin, frostbite
• C. Sudden collapse with hot skin and reduced sweating
• D. Shortness of breath

Answer: (A)

Heat exhaustion shows up when the body overheats and loses fluids through sweating, which leads to dehydration and less effective circulating blood. The signs you’d expect to see are profuse sweating and pale skin from the body diverting blood to cooling and away from the skin, along with dizziness from reduced blood flow to the brain and a rapid pulse as the heart tries to keep circulation up. Breathing can also become faster as the body attempts to cool itself and cope with the stress, so hyperventilation may occur. Taken together, this combination—profuse sweating, pale skin, dizziness, a fast pulse—and the context of heat exposure best fits heat exhaustion. Other options describe conditions that don’t match these cooling-related symptoms: cold exposure signs like shivering or frostbite; a hot, dry skin with little sweating and sudden collapse points to heat stroke; shortness of breath alone isn’t specific to heat exhaustion.