Heat Stroke in Alanya: What to Do
Heat stroke is a medical emergency. If someone in the heat becomes confused, stops sweating, collapses or has a body temperature around 40 °C or above, call 112, move them into the shade and start cooling them immediately — do not wait for a doctor to arrive before cooling.
What it is
Alanya summers routinely sit above 35 °C with high humidity. The body sheds heat by sweating; when it cannot shed heat fast enough, core temperature climbs. There are two stages and the difference between them matters.
Heat exhaustion comes first: heavy sweating, pale clammy skin, weakness, headache, nausea, cramps, fast pulse. The person is unwell but mentally clear. Treated properly it resolves.
Heat stroke is the emergency: core temperature around 40 °C or higher, skin often hot and dry because sweating has failed, and — the key sign — a change in mental state: confusion, slurred speech, aggression, staggering, seizures or unconsciousness. Untreated it damages the brain, kidneys and heart within hours.
Symptoms
- Body temperature around 40 °C or above
- Confusion, slurred speech, unusual behaviour, staggering
- Hot skin that may be dry, because sweating has stopped
- Severe headache, nausea or vomiting
- Fast, strong pulse and rapid breathing
- Seizure or loss of consciousness
Clinic hours: 09:00–19:00, seven days a week
House calls: 24/7
First aid: the first ten minutes
- Call 112 if there is any confusion, collapse or seizure.
- Get them out of the sun — shade, an air-conditioned room, anywhere cooler.
- Remove excess clothing.
- Cool aggressively. Cool water over the skin, wet cloths, ice packs at the neck, armpits and groin, a fan blowing across wet skin. Immersion in cool water is the fastest method if it can be done safely and the person is fully conscious.
- Give fluids only if they are fully awake and able to swallow normally. Never pour liquid into the mouth of a drowsy or confused person.
- Keep cooling until help arrives or the temperature is clearly falling.
Do not give paracetamol or ibuprofen for heat stroke. They lower fever caused by infection; they do not lower a temperature caused by heat, and in heat stroke they can add to liver and kidney strain.
When to call a doctor
- Any confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech or collapse in the heat — call 112
- Temperature that stays above 39 °C despite cooling
- Vomiting that stops the person keeping fluids down
- No urine passed for eight hours or more, or very dark urine
- Symptoms in a small child, an older person, a pregnant woman, or anyone with heart, kidney or diabetic illness
- Cramps and weakness that do not settle within an hour of rest and cooling
112 is the emergency number in Turkey — free from any phone, answered in English.
Prevention
How to avoid it
- Stay out of direct sun between 11:00 and 16:00
- Drink before you feel thirsty; thirst appears after dehydration has started
- Alcohol, coffee and very sugary drinks make dehydration worse, not better
- Light, loose, light-coloured clothing and a hat
- Never leave a child in a parked car, not even for a minute
- Give your body a few days to acclimatise before long walks or sport
What we do
Getting seen in Alanya
Oguzhan Care sees this at the clinic in Oba and on house calls to hotels and apartments across Alanya, 24 hours a day. The doctor examines you, treats what can be treated on the spot, and writes the report your insurer will want.
FAQ
Heat Stroke: common questions
Around 40 °C core temperature or above, together with a change in mental state. The mental change is the more important sign — someone confused in the heat needs emergency help whatever the thermometer says.
For a fully conscious adult, cool water is the correct treatment and speed matters more than comfort. Do not put a drowsy, confused or unconscious person into water — the risk of drowning outweighs the benefit. Cool them with wet cloths and a fan instead.
Heat exhaustion usually settles within a day of rest, cooling and fluids. Heat stroke can affect the kidneys and liver for days or weeks and needs medical follow-up even after the temperature is normal.
Yes, for heat exhaustion and for the recovery phase — IV fluids in your room are often exactly what is needed. For heat stroke with confusion or collapse, call 112 first: that belongs in a hospital.
Read next
Related pages
Medical disclaimer. This page is general health information, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a consultation. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily or having chest pain, call 112 — the Turkish emergency number — immediately.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Oğuzhan Özkan, physician, Alanya. Last reviewed: 11 August 2026.
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