Sweltering heat can put our lives at risk. With temperatures expected to rise, here are some essential facts about heat-related illnesses to be aware of.
Body temperature varies between 36.1 and 37.2 degrees Celsius. Photo: Archive
The number of heat-related deaths in the US has increased in recent years, with an estimated 1,600 in 2021; 1,700 in 2022 and 2,300 in 2023, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.
Body temperature varies between 36.1 and 37.2 degrees Celsius. The body regulates its temperature so that the internal organs function properly. When the body temperature is too high, one of the most common ways the body regulates its temperature is through sweating.
Another way the body regulates its temperature is by moving warm blood from the internal organs to the capillaries on the surface of the skin. This is why people look flushed when their body temperature is high, according to Yahoo!Life.
People vulnerable to extreme heat
According to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following groups are most at risk in extreme heat:
The kids: The way their body regulates their internal body temperature can make them feel exhausted.
Older adults: They are more likely to have a chronic condition or take medication that affects the body's response to heat.
People with chronic medical conditions: They are less likely to sense and respond to changes in temperature.
pregnant: The body has to make more effort to regulate their body temperature but also that of the developing child.
Homeless people: they are more exposed to extreme heat.
Sportsmen and those who work outdoors: Those who exercise or work outdoors in extreme heat are more likely to become dehydrated and develop heat-related illness.
Pets: they too can develop heat-related illnesses.
Ailments caused by heat
The CDC has provided a guide on what to consider and what to do to prevent heat-related illnesses such as heatstroke, exhaustion, heat cramps, sunburn, and rashes.
Heat stroke is the most serious heat illness. It occurs when the body can no longer regulate its temperature. Here are some of the symptoms of heatstroke: confusion, difficulty speaking, loss of consciousness, convulsions and very high body temperature.
What to do in this case: call emergency services, moisten your skin and clothes, and it is necessary to retreat to the shade, indoors or in an air-conditioned room.
Heat exhaustion is the body's response to an excessive loss of water and salt, usually through excessive sweating. Symptoms: headache, nausea, dizziness, irritability, profuse sweating, high body temperature.
What to do: call emergency services, it is necessary to retreat to the shade, drink cold water and use cold compresses.
Heat cramps usually affect employees who sweat a lot during intense work. This sweating reduces the level of salt and moisture in the body. Low salt levels in the muscles cause painful cramps. Heat cramps can also be a symptom of heat exhaustion.
What to do: Those affected must stop physical activity and must retreat to the shade. Drink water and wait for the cramps to go away before doing any other physical activity.
Heat rash is skin irritation caused by excessive sweating. Symptoms: small blisters and red bumps.
What to do: it is necessary to retreat to a cooler and less humid environment, do not use ointments or creams.
