The hot temperature in summer can affect you in multiple ways. In this article, we will look at 10 surprising ways heat can affect your body.
Sweating
Your body pushes sweat onto the surface of your skin as its natural cooling system. As the air absorbs it, it draws heat away and cools you down. This works better in drier climates where humidity is low.
Heat Exhaustion
This happens in extreme heat when your body can’t get cool enough and sweats away too much salt and water. It can make you feel tired, weak, nauseated, or light-headed. If not attended to, it could result in a heatstroke.
Dehydration
When it gets very hot, you sweat away lots of fluid, including essential minerals like potassium and sodium. You may also be thirsty and pee less than usual while your mouth and tongue feel dry.
Sunburn
If your bare skin stays too long in the sun, it burns and gets reddish, itchy, and painful. In more serious cases, you could have blisters, fever, headache, and nausea. Sunburns could also increase your risk of developing skin cancer in the long run.
Heat Rash
Heat rashes commonly happen in hot, humid weather when you sweat to the point your sweat glands get blocked. When your pores can’t remove the sweat, you break out in tiny red bumps. This commonly happens in your armpits, neck, groin, elbows, and under the breasts.
Heat Edema
Heat can cause your toes, fingers, and ankles to swell and tighten your skin. However, this condition is not serious and usually goes away once you cool down and elevate your legs.
Lower Blood Pressure
Due to heat, your blood vessels dilate to increase sweating. This can drop your blood pressure and make you dizzy or pass out.
Confusion
When things heat up, you may struggle to concentrate and complete difficult tasks.
Heatstroke
This is heat at its most dangerous, as you have no control over your body temperature, which could rise above 140 degrees.
Higher Heart Rate
When you get hot, your heart may beat faster. This supplies more blood to your skin, allowing it to release extra heat. However, this means other areas may not get enough blood, and you could feel sluggish or tired.
Conclusion
During extreme heat, you need extra measures to safeguard your health. This includes drinking lots of water, avoiding caffeine and alcohol, and wearing lightweight, light-colored clothing.
