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How does heat kill?/ It affects the brain and internal organs

2024-06-23 08:59:00, Shëndeti CNA
How does heat kill?/ It affects the brain and internal organs
Illustrative photo

As temperatures rise, what happens inside the human body can become a life-or-death battle decided by just a few degrees.

The critical outdoor risk point for heat illness and death is several degrees lower than experts once thought.

With much of the United States, Mexico, India and the Middle East suffering from heat waves made worse by human-caused climate change, several doctors, physiologists and other experts explained to The Associated Press what happens to the human body in such heat.

Core body temperature

Resting body temperature is usually around 37 degrees Celsius.

That's just 7 degrees (4 Celsius) away from catastrophe in the form of heatstroke, said Ollie Jay, a health expert at the University of Sydney in Australia.

During a heat wave, anyone who comes in with a fever or high temperature and does not have a source of infection should be checked for heat exhaustion or more severe heat stroke.

How does heat kill?

Heat kills in three main ways, Jay said. The first is heatstroke, the critical increase in body temperature that causes organ failure.

When the body's internal temperature rises too high, the body redirects blood flow to the skin to cool itself, Jay said. But this diverts blood and oxygen from the stomach and intestines and can allow toxins normally confined to the intestinal area to flow into the circulation.

It starts again with blood rushing to the skin to help remove internal heat. This causes the blood pressure to drop. The heart responds by trying to pump more blood to keep you from passing out.

The third main way is dangerous dehydration. As people sweat, they lose fluids to a point that can severely affect the kidneys, Jay said.

Many people may not realize their risk, Houston's Gandhi said.

Dehydration can progress to shock, causing organs to shut down from a lack of blood, oxygen and nutrients, leading to seizures and death, Dr. Renee Salas, a professor of public health at Harvard University.

Attacking the brain

Heat also affects the brain. It can cause confusion or problems with thinking, some doctors said./ CNA





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