Which symptom indicates heat stroke?

The correct symptom indicating heat stroke is that the skin becomes dry and hot. In cases of heat stroke, the body's ability to regulate temperature fails, leading to an increase in core body temperature. This results in the skin losing its ability to sweat, which is the body's primary mechanism for cooling itself. As a result, the skin can become hot and dry to the touch, rather than sweaty, which differentiates heat stroke from heat exhaustion, where sweating would still be present.

A weak rapid pulse and low blood pressure may be indicative of severe heat-related illnesses, but they are not distinctive symptoms of heat stroke itself. Instead, the lack of sweating and the state of the skin are key indicators of heat stroke, which emphasizes the failure of thermoregulation and the severe health risk posed by this condition.

Excessive shaking is not typically associated with heat stroke, as that symptom aligns more with conditions such as hypothermia or anxiety rather than the hyperthermic state of heat stroke. The correct recognition of symptoms is critical in emergency situations, especially regarding heat-related illnesses.