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There is a sign at a pharmacy during a heat wave.
LIONEL BONAVENTURE/ Agence France-Presse.
Due to climate change, heatwaves are getting more frequent, more intense and are lasting longer. Extreme heat could be a factor in 356,000 deaths in 2019. We explain how heat can affect the body.
A heatwave is a period of hot weather that lasts more than a day. The threshold for a heat wave in London is three or more days of weather above 28C.
The human body responds to high temperatures by dilating blood vessels and sweating.
More heat is lost to the environment when blood flow is increased. When sweat leaves the skin, it cools down. The responses help keep the core body temperature between 36 C and 37 C.
They can have bad consequences. Lower blood pressure is a result of Dilating blood vessels. People with pre-existing heart conditions are more likely to suffer a heart attack.
Excess sweat can cause the body to lose salt. Low levels of sodium in the blood can cause nausea and headaches.
Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are more likely to be the cause of death during a hot spell. It is not certain when an individual's death was caused by heat. She says that it is difficult to establish a link between exposure to heat and deaths.
People who are elderly, isolated, and don't have access to air conditioning are the most at risk from high temperatures, according to studies. One study found that people with pre-existing mental health conditions are more likely to die from heat related illnesses. Researchers theorize that the effects of medication may be the reason for this.
In hot weather, infants have a higher body-surface-area-to-mass ratio than adults, which makes them more likely to get heat-related illnesses. In the US, 53 children died from heat related illnesses after being left in cars.
About 25,000 children a year in the US are born earlier because of the heat, according to a study. People who experience extreme heat in the last week before giving birth have a higher risk of stillbirth.
acclimatisation is the process of adapting to hot weather for several days. A person who is acclimatized to the heat will sweat more and excrete less salt than someone who is not. Maintaining the body's salt balance is helped by this. The rate of skin blood flow will increase.
Stay in the shade and drink lots of fluids during the heat wave. Rooms that face the sun should be closed during the day. Put on loose-fitting clothes and wear sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Physical activity should be avoided during the hottest times of the day.
Excess water and salt can cause heat exhaustion. It can cause headaches and dizziness. If you can cool down in half an hour, it isn't usually serious.
When your body is overheating so much that it causes loss of consciousness, heat exhaustion can turn into heatstroke. You should call the emergency services if someone is still unwell after 30 minutes of resting.
It is possible to treat heat exhaustion by drinking lots of water and resting. The emergency services should be called if you suspect someone has heatstroke.
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