Parts of England have received a heatwave warning as temperatures are expected to reach 30C (86F), which is higher than Los Angeles, Marbella, and Santorini.
Beginning on Friday, many areas will have a string of days with persistently high temperatures.
What you need to know about how heat affects the body and how to stay cool is provided below.
What impact does intense heat have on our bodies?
The blood vessels expand as the body warms up. As a result, blood pressure drops and the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.
Due to leaky blood vessels, this may result in modest symptoms like an itching heat rash or swollen feet.
Additionally, sweating causes the body’s salt and fluid balance to alter, which is extremely important.
Heat exhaustion may result from this combination with reduced blood pressure. These signs include:
- dizziness
- nausea
- fainting confusion cramping in the muscles
- headaches
- heavy sweating exhaustion
- Heart attacks are more likely to occur when blood pressure falls too low.
Why does our body behave in this manner?
Whether we are experiencing a heatwave or a snowstorm, our bodies work to maintain a core temperature of roughly 37C.
It is the degree to which our bodies have adapted to function.
However, as the temperature rises, the body has to work more to maintain a stable core temperature.
It starts sweating and expands blood vessels close to the skin to release heat to the environment.
The amount of heat lost from the skin increases significantly when perspiration evaporates.
How does heat affect the body? Sweating cools the skin by removing heat through evaporation; ankles may swell from increased blood flows; dizziness and fainting sensations from not drinking enough water; heart rates rise; skin generates sweat.
How can I be secure while it’s hot?
Voici some advice from the UK Health Security Agency:
- Watch out for persons who may have trouble staying cool, such as the elderly, those who have
- underlying medical concerns, and those who live alone.
- Close the curtains in rooms that face the sun to stay cool indoors.
- Drink a lot of water and limit your alcohol consumption.
- Never leave anyone in a locked vehicle, especially infants, young children, and pets.
- Avoid the sun’s rays between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat, use sunscreen with a high SPF, and stay in the shade.
- Avoid exercising during the hottest part of the day. If you are traveling, bring water.
- If you’re tempted to cool yourself in rivers or other open water, be wary of any hidden dangers.
How can I sleep soundly at night?
Stick to your regular bedtime routine, use thin sheets, and cold your socks in the refrigerator before putting them on, advise experts.
What ought I to do if I spot someone suffering from heat exhaustion?
Heat exhaustion is typically not significant if it can be cooled down within 30 minutes.
The NHS advises:
- Place them somewhere cool.
- Get them to lie down and slightly lift their feet.
- Encourage them to drink a lot of water; sports or rehydration beverages are also OK.
- Spray or sponge them with cool water to cool their skin, then fan them. However, heat stroke will occur if they do not recover within 30 minutes, even with the use of cold packs placed around the armpits or neck.
It is a medical emergency, therefore dial 999 immediately.
Despite being overheated, those who have heat stroke may stop sweating. They can get seizures or lose consciousness if their fever rises above 40°C.
To stay cool, people should consume enough water.
Who is more in danger?
People may be less able to handle the stress that heat puts on the body as they age or as a result of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
Diabetes can cause the body to lose water more quickly, and some of the disease’s consequences might change blood vessels and impair sweating.
Those who are less mobile and children may both be more vulnerable. People with brain disorders like dementia may also be oblivious to the heat or helpless to stop it.
Additionally, homeless people will be more exposed to the sun. Additionally, top-floor apartment residents will experience warmer temperatures.
- High temperatures: a symptom of climate change?
- What effects will climate change have where you live?
Do certain medicines raise the risk?
Yes, but patients should continue taking their medications as usual and should work harder to stay hydrated and cool.
Diuretics, also known as “water pills,” boost the body’s excretion of water. They are frequently utilized, even for heart failure. Dehydration risks and mineral imbalances in the body are heightened in hot weather.
Blood arteries that are dilated to deal with the heat and antihypertensives, which lower blood pressure, can combine to induce severe dips in blood pressure.
Some anti-epileptic and Parkinson’s medications can prevent sweating, which makes it more difficult for the body to cool itself.
And if there is too much fluid loss, other medications like lithium or statins can concentrate more in the blood and cause issues.
hints on keeping calm Eat foods that are high in water content and drink enough of water; dress comfortably in breathable fabrics, and wear a hat. To lower body temperature, stay in the shade, avoid strenuous activity, and take frequent cool showers and utilize fans.
Is heat fatal?
Every year in England, excessive temperatures are responsible for roughly 2,000 fatalities.
The majority of these will be heart attacks and strokes brought on by the effort of attempting to maintain constant body temperatures.
Once the temperature reaches 25°C to 26°C, the higher death rate begins to apply.
The research, however, indicates that rather than “peak summer,” the deaths typically result from greater temperatures in spring or early summer.
This might be the case as the summer wears on and we begin to adapt to the heat in terms of our daily behavior.
The spike in fatalities occurs very quickly, usually within the first 24 hours following a heatwave, according to evidence from prior heatwaves.
