Shock hit Swifties everywhere last month when it was reported that a young woman had died at a Taylor Swift concert.
The fan, 23-year-old Ana Clara Benevides, fainted during the show in Brazil during the second song.
She later died in hospital from cardiovascular shock and pulmonary haemorrhage.
Her tragic death was believed to be related to the evening's extreme temperatures, which reached 140 degrees Fahrenheit in the stadium.
Now coroners have confirmed Ms Benevides' cause of death as heat exhaustion – a condition that occurs when the body overheats and cannot cool down.
But how hot must it be to suffer this terrible fate? And can it really happen to anyone?
Ana Benevides (pictured) died of heat exhaustion after falling ill during a Taylor Swift concert in Rio de Janeiro on November 17. The autopsy report revealed that her exposure to extreme heat caused her to go into cardiac arrest and severely damaged her lungs.
While you may think that sweltering temperatures are necessary to cause heat exhaustion, experts say you don't have to sunbathe in 100-degree temperatures to suffer from heat-related illness – although this is usually not fatal at this point.
If the 'feeling temperature' – or the 'heat index' is higher than 80 degrees, it can be enough to cause symptoms of heat exhaustion, including fatigue, dizziness and fainting – the stage before it becomes fatal. according to Dr. Sterling Ransonea practicing family physician in Deltaville, Virginia.
However, according to the National Weather Service, this temperature can lead to fatal consequences if accompanied by physical activity for a few hours.
When the heat index drops between 103 and 124 degrees, it is extremely likely that a person will experience the potentially fatal hallmark symptoms of heat exhaustion, including low blood pressure.
According to experts, this is most likely at temperatures above 125 degrees.
The heat index in the Brazilian stadium is said to have exceeded 140 degrees.
Texas and Florida saw their heat indexes repeatedly reach triple digits last summer.
A recent study made the grim prediction that the heat index would rise in most Texas counties will reach 125 degrees at least once a year for the next thirty years.
While there is no “magic” temperature at which heat exhaustion occurs, it usually occurs when the body's core temperature rises to about 104 degrees from a normal baseline of about 98.6 degrees.
But it's not just the high temperatures that cause the problem.
A lack of fluid and physical exhaustion – for example from dancing or running – can also increase the risk of the condition.
If not enough water is absorbed to replenish the sweat extracted, the body's natural temperature regulation system goes wrong.
This fluid imbalance can also disrupt the balance of our electrolytes: essential salts that keep cells functioning.
This worsens symptoms of heat-related illnesses, including exhaustion and heat stroke.
The human body has a narrow temperature range within which it can perform vital functions, between approximately 37°C and 37.8°C.
If the body's core temperature falls outside this range, essential life functions such as a healthy heart and lungs do not function properly.
Blood vessels near the skin expand to help dissipate heat and regulate the body's internal temperature.
This can lead to a drop in blood pressure, which is made worse if a person is dehydrated.
Decreased blood pressure causes the heart to increase blood flow by increasing the heart rate to more than 100 beats per minute.
This is the body's way of ensuring that enough oxygen and nutrients get to the tissues.
Over time, this overloads the heart, which has to work overtime to pump blood effectively. When the circulatory system cannot supply enough oxygen and nutrients, the heart can go into shock.
Fans at the Nov. 17 show were exposed to temperatures — the heat index exceeded 140F at Nilton Santos Stadium — and security prohibited fans from bringing their own water. Firefighters at the concert reported that at least 1,000 fans fainted from the heat
Signs of heat exhaustion include heavy sweating, pale and clammy skin, nausea, pulse changes, muscle cramps and weakness, dizziness, and fainting.
To treat heat exhaustion, doctors will typically have the person drink cold water, loosen or remove restrictive clothing, and cool the person by spraying or sponging with cold water and fanning.
Although anyone can experience heat exhaustion, it most commonly affects the elderly and those with pre-existing high blood pressure.
Ms. Benevides, a psychology student from Rondonópolis, Brazil, died of alveolar hemorrhage, a rupture in the blood vessels that supply the lungs, and polyvisceral congestion, paralysis of the lungs caused by the extreme heat.
A forensic report also said she had no pre-existing conditions or substance abuse that could have led to her death.
Heat exhaustion is the body's response to excessive loss of water and salt. It can cause stress on the heart, which must compensate for a drop in blood pressure caused by dehydration and high internal temperatures
She was among at least a thousand fans who fainted from the heat at the Nov. 17 concert, according to firefighters at the venue, where the heat index topped 140 degrees and security prohibited fans from bringing their own water.
The heat was so extreme that Swift herself had trouble breathing between songs.
The 34-year-old singer, who is dating Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, took to social media shortly after the concert to share the sadness she was experiencing, telling fans: 'I can't even tell you how devastated I am because of this… There is very little information other than the fact that she was so incredibly beautiful and far too young.'
“I won't be able to talk about this from the stage because I feel overwhelmed with sadness when I even try to talk about it… I want to say now that I feel this loss deeply.”