What is the maximum temperature the human body can withstand?
A few days ago, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, António Guterres, said that the “era of global boiling” had begun, describing heat waves in the northern hemisphere as “terrifying.”
The World Meteorological Organization and the European Union’s Climate Observatory, Copernicus, said: “It is very likely that July 2023 will be the hottest month of July, and the hottest month ever recorded.”
So what does climate change mean for our bodies and our health?
The BBC reported details of an experiment conducted by Professor Damien Bailey, from the University of South Wales, on the effect of heat waves on our bodies and health.
Bailey put the participants under different temperatures that started at 21°C, then at 35°C, and finally at 40.3°C, which equates to the hottest day in the UK.
The participants were all connected to an amazing array of tools that track the temperature of their skin and internal organs, their heart rate and blood pressure, as well as the blood flow to the brain through the carotid arteries in their neck.
“The main objective of the participants’ bodies was to maintain the temperature of the heart, lungs, liver and other organs at around 37°C,” says Bailey. This is done by a thermostat in the brain that constantly tracks the temperature, and then sends signals to the body to try to maintain that.”
The British professor indicated that when the participants were exposed to a temperature of 35 degrees Celsius, there were clearly some changes in their body. Their bodies appeared redder because blood vessels near the surface of the skin were opening up to facilitate the process of heat escape from the blood into the air.
The participants sweated significantly, as the evaporation of sweat made them feel cold.
Bailey described exposing the participants to a temperature of 40.3 degrees Celsius as a much greater physiological challenge. Participants lost more than a third of a liter of water during the experiment. And their heart rate increased significantly.
This extra stress on the heart, Bailey said, is why deaths from heart attacks and strokes increase when temperatures rise.
In addition, blood flow to the brain is severely reduced, as is short-term memory, in order to maintain the temperature at around 37°C.
So, what is the maximum temperature the human body can withstand?
Bailey says the human body is built to operate at a core temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius. And when exposed to a temperature of 40 degrees Celsius, he becomes more susceptible to fainting, and the tissues of the body, brain and heart muscles become more susceptible to damage, which may become fatal in the end.
“Once the core temperature rises to around 41-42 degrees Celsius, the really big problems start, and if it is not addressed quickly, the individual will die as a result,” he added.
People’s ability to handle heat varies, but age and ill health can make us more vulnerable. Aging, heart disease, lung disease, dementia, and taking certain medications mean that the body works harder while trying to maintain its temperature.
Scientists say that the greatest danger lies with the high humidity in the air, when there are high levels of water in the air, it is difficult for sweat to evaporate.
In addition to Bailey’s experiment, a team from Penn State University in the US tested a group of healthy young men at different temperatures and humidity, looking for the moment when their core body temperature began to rise rapidly.
“When core body temperature starts to rise, it can lead to organ failure,” says lead researcher Rachel Cottle. This danger point can be reached at low temperatures when humidity is high.
And she continued, “What we want to say is that the concern lies not only in the very high temperatures, but also in the increase in humidity.”
How can we deal with low temperatures?
Scientists advise staying in the shade, wearing loose-fitting clothes, avoiding alcohol, keeping the house cool, not exercising during the hottest part of the day, and staying hydrated by drinking water and fluids.
Bailey advises people to try not to get sunburned, saying that a mild sunburn can kill the body’s ability to regulate heat or sweat for up to two weeks.
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2023-07-30 12:13:43
