Instead of cooling, fan pushes hot air into the body under dry heat conditions, noticed a new study. It is necessary to remember the moisture.
It can be a tremendous relief, but to resort to fans To relieve intense heat can not only be poorly effective but it can even be prejudicial health, particularly if the wind generated by the machine is intended for the elderly.
The conclusion is from a new study, this Tuesday at AMA Network Open, which launches the warning especially for the warmer and dried regions and environments.
The investigation analyzed the effects of the use of fans in 58 adults over 60, an average of 68 years of age, using Four heat exposure scenarios – Use of fan, wet the skin without a fan, wet the skin with a fan and no intervention – each three hours long and spaced for at least 72 hours. The fans, standard domestic models, with high speed, were placed about 1 meter away from the participants. Warm water simulated sweat in some cases.
During experiments in humid heat conditions (38 ° C and 60% relative moisture), a slight reduction in central body temperature (about 0.1 ° C) was observed with the use of the fan, but was modest. Transpiration and feeling of comfort increased. Interestingly, the combination of fan and wet skin did not result in additional temperature improvementsalthough it was perceived as the most comfortable.
On the other hand, the Results were worrying in dry heat conditions (45 ° C and 15% moisture), where only 31 healthy participants were included – due to cardiac risk.
In these cases, the fan increased the body temperature on average 0.3 ° C, suggesting that, Instead of cooling, the fan pushed hot air into the bodyintensifying the feeling of heat. The technique of wetting the skin, with or without a fan, has not been effective under these conditions either.
Sidney University researchers underline the importance of considering not only temperature, but also humidity of air in the evaluation of the efficacy of the fans as a means of cooling.
Extreme heat is commonly associated with increasing risk of cardiovascular disease. The danger increases exponentially during intense heat waves, remembers the.
