Which symptom is most characteristic of heat-related illness in its early stage?

• A. Avoid rubbing.
• B. Hot, dry skin.
• C. Excessive sweating with pale skin.
• D. Cold extremities with shivering.

Answer: (B)

In the early stages of heat-related illness, the body is still trying to cool itself, so sweating is the main clue. The skin is typically cool, pale, and moist because sweat is actively covering the body to dissipate heat. Hot, dry skin, on the other hand, reflects a more severe stage—heat stroke—where the body's cooling mechanism has failed and the skin becomes hot and dry. Cold extremities with shivering point away from heat illness altogether and suggest another problem, like hypothermia. So, the symptom that best fits early heat illness is excessive sweating with pale skin.