How your body reacts in hot weather – and when you should dial 999

We’ve been waiting a long time after what feels like the longest, wettest winter and spring, but finally, finally, the great British summer is here.

And almost instantly, it’s really hot!

two

The Met Office and UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) have issued a yellow health alert for most of England during the next few days, as temperatures are expected to reach approximately 31ºC.

A yellow alert is issued when temperatures reach a level that would mainly affect vulnerable people, for example people over 65 or people with chronic health problems.

Due to this, there may be impacts on the health and social assistance sectors.

Whatever the external temperature – be it minus five or 35°C – the body needs to remain in a well-controlled temperature range, between around 35 and 37.5 degrees.

Think about how bad you feel when you have a fever that isn’t much higher!

This thermoregulatory control is called homeostasis and the body has mechanisms to try to maintain itself at the correct temperature.

We shiver when we are cold and when we are very hot we become thirsty, which encourages us to drink.

We also sweat to try to lose heat and the blood vessels in the skin dilate and widen to radiate heat.

But if your body’s temperature control mechanisms become overloaded, you could become seriously ill.

What are the health risks of a heatwave?

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are health problems related to hot weather, but they don’t just occur outdoors. If your home is very hot, they can also occur indoors.

They are more likely to occur in older adults, as well as in babies and young children, and in people with chronic health problems such as diabetes.

If you have a bowel problem that causes diarrhea, such as Crohn’s disease, you may be more vulnerable, or if you are someone who does a lot of physical activity in the heat.

And remember that babies or people who are sicker may not even be able to say what they are feeling.

Heat exhaustion vs. insolation

In heat exhaustion, the body works hard to cool down.

Body temperature can rise to around 38 degrees C and symptoms include feeling very sweaty, thirsty and tired or dizzy.

You may notice that you don’t feel hungry, or you feel nauseous, and you may experience abdominal pain or even cramps in your limbs.

If you go to the bathroom, your urine may be dark and concentrated and you may not be producing much.

If you notice these symptoms in yourself or someone else, move them indoors, away from the sun, preferably to a cooler location.

You can use a fan to cool the room, take off your clothes and drink cold liquids. If you feel sick, drink a little at a time. You can even use a cold flannel to sponge it down and try to cool it down.

We hope you feel better quickly, usually in about half an hour.

But if you don’t feel better after 30 minutes or if it gets worse, your heat exhaustion may have progressed to heat. strokewhich is a medical emergency.

In heatstroke, the body’s systems that it uses to try to keep you cool become overloaded and stop working. Its temperature can rise to more than 40°C.

Symptoms include headache, nausea and vomiting – which causes you to lose even more fluids – very rapid breathing and pulse.

In heat exhaustion there is a lot of sweating, but in heatstroke the sweating stops.

You may also notice other symptoms such as confusion, irritability and agitation, and if left untreated, convulsions and loss of consciousness may occur.

Heatstroke can be – and is – fatal.

How to Avoid Heat Stroke and Heat Exhaustion

Heatstroke and heat exhaustion are more likely outdoors in the sun, but can also occur outside of direct sunlight in a warm room.

Try to keep your home cool, but remember that doesn’t necessarily mean opening the windows!

If it’s warmer inside than outside, for example at night, open the windows to let in fresh air, but if it’s warmer outside than inside, keep them closed and draw the curtains to try. keep the heat out.

Wear loose clothing, preferably made from natural fibers, and a hat and stay out of the sun during the hottest hours, between 11am and 3pm, and make sure to drink plenty.

Keep drinking, but preferably without alcohol! Although drinks like coffee and tea contain caffeine, which is a diuretic and can make you urinate more, the volume you drink will likely compensate for this.

Cold drinks tend to taste better in warmer weather, and don’t forget that popsicles and fruits like watermelon can help you maintain your fluid intake.

And while this won’t stop you from getting heatstroke, don’t forget sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.

Look for a sunscreen with a high SPF, between SPF 30 and 50, with a high star rating to protect against UVA and UVB rays. Apply generously and reapply regularly.