We started this week with the news that Brazil will have thermometers reaching more than 40ºC in some regions. And the extreme heat doesn't seem to be giving much respite for a while. Therefore, it is important to know what happens to our body in weather situations like this – and we have already mentioned that there is less sweat.
Just to take off the tape in one go: yes, the heat It can kill. In fact, according to an article published in the scientific journal Nature, 6% of deaths in Latin America in 2022 were due to extreme heat.
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Because we are mammals, we can consider ourselves warm-blooded animals, whose temperature averages 36.5ºC. When we are exposed to the cold, our body activates a series of internal triggers to regulate our temperature. The same happens with heat.
The first of these is sweat, which is a measure to try to cool our body. The problem is that excessive sweating, without fluid replacement, can lead to dehydration. Additionally, it also decreases blood volume in the body and affects blood pressure and blood thickness, increasing the chance of clots.
Still on the cardiovascular dangers, to try to dissipate the heat, the heart starts to beat faster. And, if the person has a previous heart problem, they may suffer a heart attack, a Cerebral Vascular Accident (CVA) or have an episode of arrhythmia.
The imbalance of electrolytes in the body can also reach the muscles and nerves. Cases of convulsions, spasms or difficulty breathing in the heat are not uncommon.
Extreme heat can also send our bodies into a state of hyperthermia. When dehydration becomes too much for our body, it starts to store some water as an emergency measure.
If body temperature exceeds 42ºC, proteins begin to denature and, eventually, organ failure.
Graduated in Social Communication from the Federal University of Goiás. Passionate about digital media, pop culture, technology, politics and psychoanalysis.