Heart problems and the heat can pose significant health risks, especially in the context of increasing global temperatures. Understanding how your body reacts to heat and what precautions to take is crucial for maintaining health, particularly for individuals with underlying health conditions.

Evaporating sweat helps cool you down by pulling heat away from your skin. When the air is dry, this process is effective. However, in hot and humid conditions, sweat does not evaporate as efficiently, leading to an increase in body temperature. In such environments, when air temperature is close to or exceeds body temperature, the heart must work harder and beat faster to regulate internal temperatures. This is a significant concern for individuals with heart conditions. Learn more about heart problems and heat.

The most common cause of fever is infection, but other factors like heat stroke or drug reactions can also raise body temperature. Despite the possibility of being unwell with a normal temperature, body temperature remains a vital health indicator. Factors like metabolic rate, infection, and inflammation significantly impact health.

Maintaining a normal body temperature is critical for human health. The body operates optimally within a narrow temperature range, and deviations due to external factors like exercise or exposure to extreme temperatures can be harmful. Find out more about body temperature regulation.

Inflammation, often manifested as pain, redness, swelling, and heat, is the body’s defense mechanism against bacteria and tissue damage. This process is also seen in infections like colds, flu, or COVID-19. More about this can be found at all about inflammation.

The hypothalamus, skin, sweat glands, and blood vessels play a key role in the body’s temperature regulation. The skin, particularly the dermis, stores most of the body’s water and is critical in activating sweat glands for temperature control. Learn more about how the body regulates heat.

Climate change is leading to more frequent and severe heat waves, posing increased risks for people with health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and other conditions. It’s essential to be aware of heat-related illnesses and how to prepare for extreme heat.

Older individuals may experience lower body temperatures due to factors like reduced fat under the skin and slower metabolism. Certain medications can also affect body temperature. More information on this is available at when is body temperature too low?.