- Sudden drop in pressure
- Tachycardia and other heart disorders
- Excessive effort of the body to get rid of heat energy during physical activity
- Sunspots, burns and phototoxic reactions
When the temperature reaches above 25 degrees Celsius, our body can really surprise us. Find out what consequences too much sun and too much temperature can have on your body.
Sudden drop in pressure
When the mercury column in thermometers rises rapidly, the pressure in the human body drops drastically (also in he althy people). This is why people with hypotension and actively treated for hypertension feel the worst on hot days.
Both groups may be prone to fainting, arrhythmias and feeling unwell. The heat makes us feel like we've taken an extra dose of a blood pressure medication.
Such a sudden drop in blood pressure may endanger he alth, so on hot days people with hypertension and hypotension are encouraged to regularly measure blood pressure, and in case of its drop below normal, contact a doctor immediately.
People suffering from hypertension should also consult a cardiologist on the possibility of discontinuing some medications or reducing their dose.
It should be remembered, however, that not all medications can be discontinued immediately. Some of them are abandoned gradually, so it is worth planning with the doctor in advance how the treatment and dosage of drugs should be carried out on days when the temperature can be felt, and the forecasts of meteorologists indicate that we will face a longer heat wave.
And how does pressure drop affect he althy people?
They feel weak, their heart beats faster, sometimes their head hurts. They should then slow down the pace of their work and try to get more rest if possible.
Tachycardia and other heart disorders
The heart is the main organ feeling the effects of heat. In order to maintain the right body temperature, it has to beat faster, which increases our heart rate. Increased heart rate is necessary for the blood to circulate faster and to allow the blood to flow subcutaneously in order to effectively sweat and cool the body.
No wonder that people with tachycardia (because their heart beats even faster than normal) and those taking beta-blockers (because their body cannot lead tofaster heartbeat, because it is blocked by drugs, which makes the adaptation mechanism to changing environmental conditions difficult).
Patients with coronary artery disease and the elderly, whose heart rate is usually weakened, also feel terrible.
Excessive effort of the body to get rid of heat energy during physical activity
The ideal temperature for our body is 21 degrees Celsius. In it, the body easily gets rid of excess heat, which arise, for example, as a result of eating (the consumed food turns into, among others, heat energy).
However, as the mercury column begins to rise, it becomes more and more difficult for the body to get rid of them. Another obstacle in maintaining a constant body temperature is increased physical activity. Here too, additional heat is generated and the body loses the water resources necessary for the further cooling process.
Along with sweat, which is produced in greater amounts during exercise, we lose valuable elements such as sodium and potassium, which keep our body's electrolytes in balance.
In order not to force the body in the heat, you should therefore give up long-term training for shorter ones, change the time of training to morning or evening, and remember to replenish water and electrolytes by consuming, for example, isotonic drinks.
Sunspots, burns and phototoxic reactions
The heat is associated with increased insolation, which at the same time increases the risk of sunburn. Staying in the sun for too long, especially if you do not apply a cream with a high UV filter, may not only result in soreness and redness of the skin (1st degree burn), but also the appearance of blisters (2nd degree burn). The higher the severity of burns, the greater the risk of skin cancer in the future.
An additional problem during hot weather and excessive exposure to the sun are photoallergies and phototoxic reactions that occur as a result of the medications we take. These reactions result from the increased sensitivity of the skin to the sun's rays. They appear as spots, rashes, redness or pustules.
They do not apply only to the chronically ill. A phototoxic reaction can occur even after a single use of a popular non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, which we reach for to relieve headache, toothache and back pain.
What is the difference between photoallergy and phototoxic reaction?
The fact that the former does not have to occur in every person taking the drug, because it is related to the functioning of the immune system and how the body reacts is a matter ofindividual.
A phototoxic reaction will occur in any person who takes one of the approximately 400 medications on the list of medications that can interact with the sun. In addition, unlike the photoallergic reaction, it occurs immediately after exposure to sunlight (photoallergy may appear even after a day) and appears on those areas of the skin that have been directly exposed to the sun (with photoallergy it can occur in completely different places ).