How do extreme heat conditions affect your health?
Extreme heat conditions are more and more common these days, and here is how those can affect your health.
It’s no wonder that we feel a bit more strange when the temperature goes up more than we have used to. In the last few decades, the climate has changed rapidly and global warming is higher than ever.
That doesn’t only affect us, humans, but also plants and animals. Global warming affects our oceans, forests, and the air we are breathing.
All in all, it doesn’t help anyone, but ruins the entire life on Earth.
Here’s what you can expect to feel when the temperatures become very high. Extreme heat conditions affect your health in these ways:
1. Dehydration. The most important thing to remember when it comes to extreme heat is to keep your body hydrated. Of course, you should stay away from the sun, but don’t forget to eat food that will hydrate your body from the inside – fruit & veggies, such as strawberries, melons, and zucchini are some of the best foods that will help your body keep hydrated. Stay away from alcohol and too much caffeine because those will dehydrate your body and make you feel very weak.
2. Increased heart rate. Cardiovascular issues are also very common when extreme heat comes. You may experience an increased heart rate, but that’s not all – people who have heart diseases should be very careful because those are the days when they are at a higher risk of a heart attack. If you have high blood pressure, follow all the instructions experts and doctors provide for extreme heat periods.
3. Problems with kidneys. You’ve probably realized that you feel bloated when the extreme heat comes. That is because your body stays without the water and becomes dehydrated, so your body tries to retain as much water as possible so it won’t stay without it later. Remind yourself about the first fact I’ve mentioned on this list.
4. Vertigo & neurological issues. Not only your concentration will drop, but you can also experience vertigo and neurological issues. It may seem very hard to focus.
5. Faint. People who have very low blood pressure naturally may also faint. How to help yourself? You can eat more salty foods to keep your blood pressure a bit higher, yet that may be tricky advice because you’ll retain water and experience dehydration. Actually, use that advice only in an emergency. What you can do for your blood pressure is to raise your legs higher on a pillow, so blood will flow through the body.
People who suffer from literally any chronic illness should be more cautious when extreme weather hits.
How does the extreme heat affect you?
Have you experienced some serious issues so far?
What advice would you like to add to our list – how can people protect themselves and their health?