You snooze you lose?
And, of course, don’t forget to check on those who are at greater risk and keep informed about the weather forecast.
Sources: (Sky) (Canada's National Observer) (Annals of Internal Medicine)
See also: Reasons why you wake up with a dry mouth, and what to do about it
However, fans didn’t seem to have the same effect in dry heat conditions, where they were shown to actually have the opposite effect, increasing body temperature.
Fans are used around the globe to keep people cool, but, according to a study, they are not suitable for all conditions.
Dehydration affects our cognitive abilities, which means that the brain will have problems sending the right signals to the body.
There are a few steps you can take to stay cool during extreme heat and minimize the risks. These include staying indoors (or heading to somewhere cool with air con, such as a mall).
The study did find that fans, when used in hot, humid conditions, were effective in cooling down body temperature and reducing cardiovascular strain.
Dehydration is also a fairly common cause of death when it comes to hyperthermia. We sweat more and blood thickens, increasing the risk of clotting.
This results in endotoxins being released into the bloodstream, which will likely trigger an inflammatory response from your immune system.
Those with lower incomes, who are more likely to live in apartments with no access to air conditioning, are also at greater risk.
While extreme heat can certainly kill anyone, it is believed that babies and those over 65 are at greater risk.
Stay hydrated, minimize your exposure to sun rays, wear light, breathable clothing, avoid vigorous exercise, eat light foods, and have a tepid shower.
We have a barrier in our gut called the tight junction, which keeps bacteria from entering our bloodstream. When our body reaches such extreme temperatures, it stops doing its job.
Because most research is conducted on people who actually died of heatstrokes, as well as animals in labs, there is still a lot we don’t know about it.
This rise of temperature then starts to affect the brain. This may feel like a dull headache at first, but things can get serious if brain tissue swells.
The goal is to create a heat transfer phenomenon called convection, which will consequently help move the heat away from you. This, however, can put extra strain on a weak heart.
It may sound counterproductive, but the body actually works to get the skin hotter than the outside temperature.
"When you have heatstroke, the body gets so hot it starts to denature proteins so [it] can't regulate your body temperature and therefore major organs can fail," said Mike Tipton, a professor from the University of Portsmouth.
"You're more likely to have a heart attack as your cardiovascular system has to try harder to perfuse blood to your tissues than when it's cool," added Tipton.
Excess heat can lead to different stages of heat illness, as follows (based on increasing severity): sunburn, fainting, exhaustion, and heatstroke.
Dizziness, confusion, loss of consciousness, and even brain hemorrhage can occur as a result.
This is when heatstroke occurs. When our body is unable to cool itself down, our internal temperature starts climbing up from our baseline to somewhere closer to 104°F (40°C) or 105°F (40.5°C).
The impact of oxygen-rich blood being diverted away from vital organs to the skin may lead to organ failure as these become hypoxic (low levels of oxygen).
The very first thing that happens when it’s too hot is your brain starts firing messages to your sweat glands to increase sweat production.
Body temperature over 100.4°F (38°C) is considered a fever, which is a response from our immune system, usually to some form of infection or illness.
Then it’s all about pumping more blood to the skin, which is achieved by an increase in heart rate.
Human beings’ average temperature is around 8.6°F (37°C). Though it can range between 97°F (36.1°C) and 99°F (37.2°C).
By pumping more blood to the skin, organs such as the kidney, liver, and intestines will have less blood supply.
Our bodies have thermoregulation mechanisms, one of them being the process of sweating. But there are a few other ways our bodies try to keep us at a healthy temperature.
The world is being blasted by extreme temperatures. From the US and Canada to Europe, people are struggling to keep cool, and wildfires are rampant. Record-breaking temperatures continue to cause havoc across the globe, and people keep dying as a consequence. But what actually happens to a person’s body under severe heat that can lead to death?
Click through and find out how people die from extreme heat.
How people die from extreme heat
This is what can happen to your body
HEALTH Extreme
The world is being blasted by extreme temperatures. From the US and Canada to Europe, people are struggling to keep cool, and wildfires are rampant. Record-breaking temperatures continue to cause havoc across the globe, and people keep dying as a consequence. But what actually happens to a person’s body under severe heat that can lead to death?
Click through and find out how people die from extreme heat.