Weather U: What's the difference between heat stroke and heat exhaustion?

We are no strangers to hot, humid weather here in Houston, but do you know how to protect yourself from heat exhaustion and heat stroke? Can you tell the difference between the two?

This is essential information everyone in southeast Texas needs to know to stay safe and healthy during the hot summer months.

One reason why our bodies get easily stressed by the heat is because of the humidity. When the air is humid, less sweat evaporates from our bodies, making it more difficult to cool off. This is why we have a "feels like" heat index calculation. It helps us understand if the humidity is helping or hurting our natural ability to cool down.

When the humidity is low, sweat evaporates more efficiently, which actually has a cooling effect. We rarely get that kind of "dry heat," so normally the humidity is making it more difficult for our bodies to cool down, increasing the chances we could experience heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Watch the video to learn the differences between the two and how you should respond to each kind of heat illness.

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