Heat cramps are muscle cramps that happen in very hot conditions, usually during intense exercise. A muscle cramp is a painful tightening (contraction) of a muscle. The exact cause of heat cramps isn't clear, but the loss of liquid and salt from the body may play a role. Follow these instructions to help your child as they recover from heat cramps and to help prevent them and other heat-related problems.

As your child recovers from heat cramps:

• Let them rest today.
• Make sure they drink plenty of liquids. They can drink water, but your health care provider also may recommend drinking liquids with salt in them (such as oral electrolyte solutions or sports drinks) or adding salt to their food. 
• Have them take any supplements or vitamins as recommended by your health care provider.
• Help them avoid caffeine, which causes liquid to leave the body through pee.
• Offer a regular diet. If your health care provider recommends it, add more salt to your child's diet.
• If your child's muscles are sore from the cramping, you can try:
  • gentle massage and stretching of the sore muscles
  • having them take a warm bath
  • applying a heating pad or ice wrapped in a towel on the sore muscles
  • helping your child relax (for example, through deep breathing or meditation)
  • medicines such as acetaminophen (Tylenol^® or a store brand) or ibuprofen (Advil^®, Motrin^®, or a store brand) if your health care provider says it's OK. Follow the directions on the label for how much to give and how often.

To help prevent heat cramps and other heat illnesses, encourage your child to:

• Drink plenty of liquids. Health care providers might recommend that kids who do endurance sports (such as football, running, tennis, or soccer) or exercise in hot weather drink liquids with salt in them (such as oral electrolyte solutions or sports drinks) or add salt to their food. Ask your health care provider about the right amount of salt for your child.
• Start slowly when exercising in hot weather. They should increase how long and hard they exercise gradually (over at least a week) so their body can adjust.
• Avoid exercising outside between noon and 6 p.m., the hottest part of the day.
• Take frequent breaks when exercising in the heat.
• Wear sunscreen. Sunburned skin can worsen heat illness.
• Dress in light clothing and only wear the minimum gear needed to stay safe when exercising in hot weather. For example, at football practice when working on endurance through running, they can take off their helmet and padding. 
• Avoid exercising in the heat when sick or taking any new medicines, especially if they have a fever.
• Avoid caffeine. 
• Take any supplements or vitamins as recommended by your health care provider.

Other safety tips:

• Talk to your health care provider and coaches before your child starts any exercise plan if they are overweight, have been diagnosed with sickle cell trait or another medical condition, or take any medicines.
• Talk to kids about the dangers of heat illness. Teach them that they should stop exercising and cool off right away if they feel extremely hot or thirsty, weak or tired, or have cramps or other symptoms.
• Be sure all your child's coaches and athletic trainers understand the dangers of heat illness and that they take safety precautions when the weather is very hot or humid (such as shortening or canceling practice or moving practice indoors).
• Don't ever leave kids alone in a parked car. Even on a mild, sunny day, temperatures inside a car can reach dangerous levels.

Your child:

• isn't back to normal after a day or two
• has new symptoms such as vomiting, headache, or diarrhea
• gets heat cramps again

What causes heat cramps? It's not exactly clear why heat cramps happen. They may happen for different reasons in different people, such as:

• not drinking enough liquids
• not having enough salt in the diet
• losing a lot of salt through sweating
• using muscles that aren't used regularly
• a message sent from the brain when the muscles get tired

What should I do if my child cramps again? To help your child:

• Take them out of the sport or activity they are doing. Without rest and liquids, the cramps will only get worse. 
• Get them to a cool place, if possible. Or you can put ice packs wrapped in a towel on their skin to cool them.
• Give plenty of liquids, preferably a drink with salt in it (such as an oral electrolyte solution or sports drink). But if a drink with salt in it isn't available, give water.
• It may help to:
  • Massage or stretch the muscle that is cramping. 
  • Put ice wrapped in a towel on the muscle that is cramping. 
  • Encourage your child to relax and take deep breaths.