Heat waves are becoming more common and pose a significant challenge to our ability to adapt due to climate change. Heat-related illnesses and deaths are primarily caused by extreme heat. It is essential to understand why heat can be dangerous and who is at the highest risk. Here’s an in-depth look at what happens inside your body when it becomes overheated.
When your body starts to heat up from physical exertion or when the surrounding temperature rises, it initiates a cooling process. It accomplishes this by redirecting warmer blood away from your internal organs and replacing it with cooler blood. The body employs two main techniques to achieve this.
Firstly, blood is redistributed from your core to the periphery to release heat through your skin. This process causes the capillaries near the skin’s surface to fill with blood, giving individuals a flushed appearance when they are hot. Additionally, sweating begins, and as the sweat evaporates, it cools the skin, thereby lowering the temperature of the blood. The cooled blood then returns to the internal organs, effectively cooling them down. Even when you do not feel particularly hot, your body constantly utilizes these techniques to maintain its internal temperature.
However, when the air temperature exceeds the skin temperature, which is typically around 90 degrees, the body absorbs more heat than it can release. In dry climates, sweating can continue to cool the body at higher temperatures, but its effectiveness decreases as humidity increases. In highly humid conditions, sweat fails to evaporate, leading to it dripping off the skin without providing any cooling effect. This is why dry heat feels cooler than humid heat.
As the body works harder to regulate its temperature, the need for increased circulation to the skin’s surface causes the heart rate to rise and blood pressure to drop. People can faint during heat waves due to low blood pressure when they stand up. Furthermore, dehydration caused by sweating reduces blood volume, resulting in even lower blood pressure. Heat-related dangers can start at temperatures as low as 80 degrees for older adults and individuals with pre-existing conditions affecting circulation or the sweating response, like diabetes. Individuals with cardiovascular issues face a higher risk due to the strain on their hearts.
Young and healthy individuals generally experience a slight increase in internal temperature when exposed to high heat, which then stabilizes. This is usually safe, albeit potentially uncomfortable. However, under more extreme conditions like temperatures of 104 degrees and 50 percent humidity, or when exercising in moderate heat and humidity, the body’s internal temperature continues to rise, leading to potential complications.
Heat exhaustion occurs when the internal temperature is high, typically between 101 and 103 degrees, along with dehydration. Fatigue sets in, and muscles tire more quickly, often signaling the need to stop exerting oneself. Symptoms may also include nausea, headache, rapid heart rate, and shallow breathing. Heat stroke occurs when the internal temperature reaches 104 degrees or higher. At this point, low blood pressure has often caused internal organs to be deprived of oxygen. Additionally, the high temperature itself can result in cell death and organ failure. The kidneys, heart, gut, and brain are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat.
Dehydration leads to reduced blood circulation to the kidneys as the brain signals the body to conserve fluid. This lack of oxygen damages kidney cells and can cause kidney failure. The overworked heart struggles to meet increased circulation demands, ultimately leading to oxygen deprivation and potential fatal damage. Individuals with underlying conditions that weaken the heart are especially susceptible.
Heat can also impact the gut, as excessive heat can cause the intestines’ walls to break down, resulting in the leakage of bacteria into the bloodstream. Heat stroke is characterized by confusion and delirium as the brain overheats and lacks oxygen. The hypothalamus, which regulates body temperature, may malfunction, leading to the cessation of the body’s cooling signals. Consequently, individuals experiencing heat stroke may stop sweating, while their organs are overwhelmed by the heat.
The time it takes for someone exposed to high temperatures to develop heat stroke and experience permanent organ damage or death varies from person to person. While it is possible for some individuals, such as athletes accustomed to heat, to function with internal temperatures exceeding 104 degrees, immediate cooling is vital once symptoms of heat stroke manifest. Every minute counts in minimizing organ damage. The quickest and most effective method is immersing the person in an ice bath. If this option is unavailable, using cold and wet cloths to wrap the person can help lower their body temperature.
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