If someone starts acting ‘out-of-character’ in the sun, there could be a problem
Brits are bracing for another blast of early-August heat and they have been warned to watch for a nasty heatstroke red flag that can be easy to miss. A doctor says one of the most alarming signs can be a sudden change in someone’s personality – not just sweating buckets or going red.
Sudden mood swings or personality shifts can potentially show signs of a serious medical emergency that needs urgent help beyond something physical. Dr Alexander Joshue Acosta Peñafiel, who has worked in both primary care and emergency medicine, says the scariest cases weren’t the obvious ones.
He said: “The cases that stayed with me weren’t the ones with flushed skin and high temperature readings. They were the ones where a family member told me ‘he’s just not acting like himself’.”
According to the GP, this kind of out-of-character behaviour can be an early red flag that the brain is being affected by dangerous overheating. He said changes linked to impulse control may appear before some of the more widely recognised symptoms such as slurred speech, stumbling or collapsing.
In other words, family and friends shouldn’t brush it off as someone being grumpy, tipsy or having a strop. He also warned that once these behavioural changes begin, the body’s temperature can keep climbing, increasing the risk of long-term harm.
He said: “Once the central nervous system begins to be affected at 104°F [40°C], the greater the duration of hyperthermia above that temperature, the greater the likelihood of permanent neurological damage.”
The doctor stressed that people often don’t connect the dots between the heat and an abrupt personality change — and that delay can be costly. He described how some patients were left in hot conditions for an extra 20 to 30 minutes because those nearby assumed rest and water alone would sort it.
Heatstroke is a severe, life-threatening condition where the body overheats and fails to cool down, reaching a core temperature of 40°C or higher. It is always a medical emergency that requires immediate professional help.
If someone becomes confused, aggressive, or noticeably “not themselves” during extreme heat, he says to treat it as urgent. “Call emergency services right away before doing anything else.”
After that, he advises moving them out of the sun and to start ‘fast cooling’ with ice or cold cloths on key areas like the neck and armpits, where major blood vessels are closer to the surface of the skin.
He also urged people not to push drinks on anyone who seems disoriented or unable to follow instructions, due to the risk of choking. Call 999 is the person is still being unwell after 30 minutes of resting in a cool place, being cooled and drinking fluids.