Heating up bodies maximize their performances.
By now, many areas across the globe have experienced scorching hot temperatures. High heat can threaten your well-being, so it's crucial to know how to protect yourself and who's at a higher risk. Let's address some important questions.
Tourists in Spain, Italy, and parts of the USA are currently experiencing heatwaves. Your body is put to the test during these intense temperatures. What happens within your body when it gets heated, and what measures can you take?
How does heat affect the body?
When the mercury rises, your body tries to maintain a temperature around 37°C. It does this through various actions such as dilating blood vessels in your skin and perspiring. By widening the blood vessels, the body releases heat from its surface. Sweating helps cool you down by evaporating the moisture on your skin.
What are the health risks associated with heat?
Sometimes, your body's temperature regulation mechanisms can be overwhelmed. This can lead to symptoms like exhaustion, headaches, sleep disturbances, or fever. These could be signs of more serious problems, including sunburn from spending too much time in the sun or dehydration, which occurs when there's an excessive loss of fluids from your body.
The worst-case scenario is heatstroke, a life-threatening condition characterized by your body temperature being above 40°C.
Who's especially vulnerable?
Young children, particularly those under five years old, are at greater risk. So are people with pre-existing health conditions, as their bodies are less equipped to adapt to extreme situations.
The elderly also fall into this category. With age, the number of sweat glands decreases in your skin, making it more challenging for them to cool down through sweating.
In heatwaves, their sweat glands are overworked, causing them to temporarily stop producing sweat. This leads to increased body core temperature. Other factors that worsen the situation are increased energy demands and physical capacities exceeded by heat stress in older individuals.
What conditions make heat more dangerous?
Certain living circumstances make it harder to cope with heat as well. In densely populated cities, heat stress is higher than in rural areas, especially in poorly insulated houses or attic apartments. On top of that, large cities often have poor air quality due to pollution.
Those who work outside, like construction workers, are also at a higher risk. The homeless are disproportionately affected since they often lack a cool refuge.
What precautions should you take?
Stay in cool environments, drink lots of fluids, and avoid any extreme physical activity during the hottest hours of the day. Use protective measures like hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. Dress in light, loose-fitting garments, and take regular breaks in shaded areas.
During high outdoor temperatures, it's essential to drink amply and spend time in cool spaces. Health officials advise against leaving your home during midday, suggesting options such as seeking shelter in libraries, museums, cinemas, or shopping centers. Engaging in strenuous outdoor activities is discouraged.
Health experts also urge regular fluid consumption, even if you're not thirsty, and consuming alcohol should be avoided. For seniors, regular check-ins with relatives are advisable, and seeking assistance is not something to shy away from.
Read also:
Despite the body's efforts to regulate its temperature during heatwaves, swelling may occur due to increased perspiration and dehydration. To maintain top performance during high heat, it's essential to meet the body's increased energy requirement through proper hydration and nutrition.
