It’s July. It’s hot. Of course, since we live next to the Gulf of Maine it’s not as soul-crushingly hot as it may be in other parts of the country. If you live along the coast, there’s always at least the hope of an afternoon sea breeze keeping the land temperature in check. Even so, those living a few miles inland may find themselves experiencing particularly high temperatures, both in the day and at night. Pay attention to the temperature: extreme heat can cause harm to the human body remarkably quickly.
The longer your body suffers from high temperatures, the greater the stress on your
cardiovascular system and on specific organs. Stock photo.
There’s no official definition of an extreme heat event. The Federal Emergency Management Agency defines it as a long period (two to three days) of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees. The National Weather Service office in Gray defines a heat wave as three days with maximum temperatures topping 90* F.
Whatever the definition, illnesses go up as the temperature rises. According to a 2022 study, every increase of 1.8* F. is estimated to increase heart disease death rates by 2.8%. Extreme heat kills more Americans than any other kind of weather-related death in the United States, according to the National Weather Service. The newspapers are full of articles about heat exhaustion and heat stroke, which can kill you. But prolonged heat spells can have more insidious effects on the human body.
Heat taxes our body’s systems. The body wants to remain at a stable temperature, approximately 98.6* F, in order for organs to function properly. If the air becomes too cold, we begin to shiver to warm up. If it becomes too hot, we sweat so that evaporation can cool the skin and the capillaries beneath it.
But what happens if it stays hot for a long time? Stress. The longer your body suffers from high temperatures, the greater the stress on your cardiovascular system and on specific organs.
Prolonged heat makes your heart work harder to keep the body cool, leading to increased heart rate, blood pressure, and the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The kidneys also work harder thus extreme heat can affect those with kidney disease. Heat can also make respiratory conditions, such as asthma, worse. As the days tick by and temperatures remain high, stress on the body increases. The effects are particularly pronounced among older people and children.
If your body can’t cool down at night, things get worse. Extreme heat makes it hard to sleep at night if you don’t have an air conditioner or that longed-for sea breeze.
Each evening as you lie down to sleep, your body temperature drops. That change in core temperature triggers sleep. Just before you wake, the body’s temperature ticks up again. Researchers have concluded that the best nighttime temperature for most people to sleep well is between 60* and 70* F. Temperatures in the mid or upper 70s definitely will affect your sleep.
What happens if you don’t get a good night’s sleep, night after night, due to heat? Regular sleep serves a crucial role in keeping the body healthy. If you don’t sleep well because you are just too hot, your body can’t repair its muscles. Your immune system and metabolism may be affected. Lack of sleep increases systemic inflammation in the body, not to mention making you cranky and mentally foggy.
We all know that when the weather turns hot it’s important to stay hydrated during the day, take rests in the shade, and not over exert yourself. It’s also important to find a way to keep the house cool at night in order for your body and mind to recuperate from the stress of yet another hot day.