Extreme heat can pose serious health risks, overloading the body and affecting the heart, blood pressure and water balance. With a high temperature, the body needs to work harder to remain stable, which can result in tachycardia, dehydration and even serious complications, especially for the elderly, children and people with heart disease. Understand how to protect yourself during high temperatures and avoid complications.
According to Gabriela Bonilha Nogueira, internal medicine and cardiologist at Hospital São Marcelino Champagnat and Hospital Cajuru, the human body tries to regulate its internal temperature, which must be between 36°C and 37°C. When the environment exceeds this mark, the body needs to work harder to maintain its temperature.
“Every time the environment is much hotter than that, this body tries to regulate itself to keep the internal temperature of our organs always the same. So, if it’s very hot outside, the body needs to work much harder and spend much more energy to maintain that temperature, and for this it has some strategies. The main one is that the heart starts to work harder, it needs to pump more blood, which means it needs to beat faster, causing what we call tachycardia.”
Furthermore, the cardiologist warns of the risk of dehydration, which can lead to loss of electrolytes and water and electrolyte disorders.
“People who already have previous heart problems, such as hypertensive people, that is, people with high blood pressure, people with heart failure, the elderly or children”, he explained.
How to avoid complications due to extreme heat?
To avoid complications, it is essential to drink lots of water, even if you are not thirsty. A 70 kg adult should consume at least 2,500 ml of water per day. Nogueira highlighted the importance of avoiding direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10am and 4pm, and staying in cool, ventilated environments.
“You have to drink water even if you are not thirsty, because you will sweat, lose electrolytes and become dehydrated. Stay in airy places, with a fan, air conditioning, without needing to be in the sun, avoid staying between 10 am and 4 pm, which are those times when the sun’s incidence is strongest”, he concluded.
Additionally, some conditions, such as menopause and thyroid problems, can worsen hot flashes, but severe dehydration caused by extreme heat can, in rare cases, lead to cardiac arrest, especially in those who already suffer from serious heart disease.
Prevention and paying attention to the body’s signals are essential to ensure health during intense heat waves.
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