The effects of intense heat can be very serious. Unusually hot weather, lack of ventilation, cramped conditions, and intense physical exertion can all contribute to an increase in body temperature. If nothing is done, this can pose a serious risk to our health.
Heat exhaustion occurs when the body overheats, often during physical activity in a hot environment. When body temperature exceeds 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), the body loses the ability to cool itself. This can lead to heat stroke, which can be fatal. Here’s what you need to know about the dangers of elevated body temperature.
As the body heats up, the blood vessels dilate. This lowers blood pressure and forces the heart to work harder to circulate blood throughout the body. This can cause mild but uncomfortable symptoms – itchy rash or swollen legs.
Sweating is the body’s cooling mechanism. The body responds to an increase in temperature by increasing blood flow to the skin, thereby transferring heat to the surface of the body. At the same time, sweat is produced, which evaporates and cools the body. But sweating causes the loss of fluids and salts and, very importantly, changes the balance between them in the body. This, combined with a drop in blood pressure, can lead to heat exhaustion. Symptoms include If blood pressure drops too low, the risk of a heart attack increases.
The human body strives to maintain a body temperature that does not exceed 37.5°C, whether it’s in a winter snowstorm or in the summer heat. This temperature is what our body has adapted to through the process of evolution. But as the weather gets hotter, the body has to work harder to maintain an optimal body temperature. It dilates more blood vessels closer to the skin’s surface to release excess heat to the outside, and the body begins to sweat. When sweat evaporates, it greatly increases heat loss from the skin’s surface. When the body heats up to 39-40°C, the brain tells the muscles to slow down – a feeling of fatigue sets in. At a temperature of 40-41°C, heat exhaustion is possible, and at a temperature above 41°C, the body begins to shut down. Chemical processes are disrupted, cells are destroyed, and there is a risk of multiple organ failure. In these conditions, the body cannot even sweat because the blood flow to the skin stops and it becomes cold and sticky. Heat stroke, which can occur at any temperature above 40°C (104°F), requires professional medical attention, and if not received immediately, chances of survival may be poor.
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The best cooling method is to immerse a person in icy water or apply ice packs to the groin and armpits, where major arteries are located, but it all depends on how long the body was exposed to high temperatures. George Havenit, Professor of Environmental Physiology and Ergonomics at Loughborough University, says that humidity – the amount of moisture in the air – plays a crucial role in determining how much sweat our bodies can produce. When the humidity is high, our ability to sweat decreases and we feel bad. But in hot and dry conditions, sweating can help. “We can lose a lot of moisture from the skin, but at the same time we have to produce it,” says Professor Havenit. “This means that we can quickly reach a very high sweat rate, but the amount of sweat produced by the body is limited.” For example, a person running at a speed of about 15 km per hour at a temperature of up to 37°C must produce four liters of sweat per hour. High temperatures can be a cause of death.
In most cases, heart attacks and strokes are caused by the stress associated with trying to maintain a stable body temperature. When the air temperature exceeds 25°C-26°C, the mortality rate also increases. However, scientists have observed that deaths tend to be caused by higher temperatures in the spring or early summer rather than during the “height of summer,” with the first 24 hours of a heat wave being significantly more dangerous. This may be related to the fact that with the arrival of summer, we begin to change our daily behavior and gradually get used to dealing with the heat.
In hot weather you need to drink a lot. Age or certain chronic medical conditions (such as heart disease) can make people less able to handle the stress that heat places on the body. In diabetes, the body loses water more quickly, and some complications of the disease can alter the condition of blood vessels and the ability to sweat. Children and people with limited mobility are also more vulnerable. Brain diseases such as dementia can make people unaware of the heat or unable to help themselves. Homeless people, who spend most of their time outdoors, and residents of apartments on higher floors, which heat up more, are also at greater risk than others.
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