The impact of high temperatures on human health

2024-06-22 21:35:00, Shëndeti CNA

The impact of high temperatures on human health

Illustrative photo

Very high temperatures, combined with high humidity for a long period, can cause health problems. As the world experiences rising temperatures, scientists are researching the effects it has on humans. Scientists have built special artificial environments with high heat and humidity to see how human organs start and get damaged by the created situation.

Man-made climate change has caused high temperatures this month from the southwestern United States to Mexico and Central America.

The organization "World Weather Attribution" says that temperatures have increased by about 1.4 degrees Celsius more as a result of the use of coal, natural gas and oil.

The scorching heat is forcing the elderly to stay indoors. High temperatures are also a problem for young children who have not yet developed the ability to regulate their body temperature.

At Roehampton University in London, Professor Lewis Halsey and other researchers are investigating what happens to the human body when faced with heat exhaustion.

"The heart beats faster, leading to subtle changes in the cycle. The rate of breathing also increases. Blood circulation is concentrated on the surface of the skin. This is the reason why people blush at high temperatures. When the blood goes to the surface of the skin, it loses heat. So we have a wide range of physiological changes in the human body as a result of high temperature," says Professor Lewis Halsey with Roehampton University.

Researchers enter a special room with a constant temperature of 50 degrees Celsius and air humidity of at least 25%. They use sensors to measure temperature. Professor Halsey says that the reactions of the human body depend on age, physical condition and health problems.

Depending on the climatic conditions, people react differently as a result of adaptation to some extent over time. Athletes in countries with hot climates have an internal body temperature of over 40 degrees Celsius when they run. This is specific to this category only.

The professor says that the high humidity of the air increases stress as the human body is unable to cool down by sweating. The combination of high temperature and high humidity can cause health problems.

"The way the human body reduces heat or stops it from increasing in a hot environment is sweating. But if the air is too humid, sweat drains onto the skin of the body and has no effect on the release of body heat," says Mr. Halsey.

The human body suffers from stress caused by extreme heat over a long period of time. Prolonged exposure poses a risk, says the professor, for example high temperatures at night and during the day.

The professor's body temperature is reaching about 40 degrees Celsius in the special room with high temperature and humidity. Temperature of 40 degrees and above causes human organs to begin to fail.

"If the temperature goes above 40 degrees, then we are in a danger zone for some people. This is the threshold when the human body begins to face problems. Organs have difficulty functioning and their failure begins," says Professor Halsey.

The researchers say that the studies will continue for a long time to understand the reaction of the human body when faced with the high temperatures that are being noted all over the world./ Voa