Heat-related illnesses

Heat-related illnesses can occur when a person is [blank] to high temperatures, such that their body cannot cool itself sufficiently through sweating. Symptoms range from mild swelling, rashes, or cramps to potentially deadly heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Any person can [blank] from heat stress, regardless of age, sex, or health status. Older adults and children, however, have a higher-than-average risk of becoming ill due to exposure to extreme heat. People working outdoors, the socially [blank] and economically disadvantaged, those with chronic illnesses, and some communities of color are also especially vulnerable to heat. Unusually hot summer temperatures have become more common across the world in recent decades, and extreme heat events (heat waves) are expected to become more frequent and more [blank] in the future. As a result, the risk of heat-related illness is expected to increase.