Why Extreme Heat Is So Bad for the Human Body

Blistering temperatures aren’t just uncomfortable. They can quickly escalate to become life-threatening: According to data from U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention researchers, more than 700 people nationwide died from heat-related causes annually from 2004 to 2018. Some research suggests that the death toll will rise in the coming years as climate change makes extreme heat more common. Here’s what you need to know about the health risks of extreme heat and how to understand your own risk. What happens when the body gets too hot Human beings evolved in tropical climates and can tolerate heat well by releasing it into the environment through the skin. But when the air gets hotter than skin temperature (which is typically 97-99° F) or if sweat doesn’t evaporate, “we start to gain heat, and our body core temperature—the temperature of our deep body tissues—starts to rise,” says W. Larry Kenney, a professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State University who studies human temperature regulation. “If that rise is unabated, and it keeps going up, in some people it can lead to heat-related illnesses.” [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] Some people are at higher risk than others While everyone is susceptible to the health effects of heat, some people are at much greater risk than others. Infants and children are particularly vulnerable, in part because they lose fluid more quickly than adults and h...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized climate change Evergreen healthscienceclimate Source Type: news