Whitney Pettier
Features and News
As temperatures soared across America this summer, medical professionals observed a correlation between extreme heat and impaired mental and physical health.
Heat related illnesses are one of the leading causes of weather-related death.
High temperatures increase the risk of heat related disease, as the body struggles to maintain homeostasis.
An unregulated body temperature can lead to hyperthermia, dehydration and in extreme cases, heat stroke.
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital PICU nurse Mallory Locke discussed n how she has witnessed heat impact her patients in the hospital.
“One was a football player who came in for heat stroke,” Locke said. “He was unresponsive and had to be intubated. Neurologically, he was pretty much not doing anything, and the first day we were not expecting him to live.”
While cases of this extreme nature are not common, heat stroke largely impacts athletes whose practices are held outside during high temperature times.
Football players face the greatest exposure to high temperatures.
“Heat related illness, especially in football players, poses a great risk,” Locke said. “Between the heat, the equipment, and overall dehydration, it’s a serious issue.”
Due to required safety padding that football players wear, heat is trapped inside clothing, increasing the core body temperature. This combined with the high external temperature increases the risk of overheating.
“One of the main dangers with overheating is the damage it can cause to the brain,” Locke said.
“Proteins come apart at high heat and the brain is very sensitive to that.”
Overheating disrupts natural proteins needed for brain activity. This disruption causes imbalances in brain chemicals that have direct impact on mood, decision making and other neurological activities.
These imbalances additionally have impact on mental health.
Oklahoma Baptist University nursing professor Abbie Richardson discussed the impact heat has on mental health.
“Within people who have schizophrenia, dementia or extreme depression, there’s a higher level of suicide,” Richardson said. “Fluid and electrolytes play a major role in your body.”
While most people associate mental health conditions with family history or other biological factors, heat is a leading cause for disordered mental health.
“You have these sort of shifts that happen in your body that are outside of your control that can just make you feel crummy,” Richardson said. “So, anxiety goes up, irritability goes up, and aggression goes up.”
Certain mental health conditions are also impacted by heat due to the medications the individual may be taking.
“People on antidepressants and antipsychotics are also at a huge risk for heatstroke because of the medications they are on,” Richardson said. “Any medication having to do with the central nervous system impacts health.”
Prescribed medications for mental health are not the only drugs effected by heat.
Every day, over the counter medications such as Benadryl, Claritin and Ibuprofen can cause increased sensitivity to the sun.
“There are lots of medications that you get put on where it is best to avoid direct sunlight because it can mess with your skin,” Richardson said.
“Your skin is a huge part of regulating your temperature, by allowing sweat out, and acts as a protective mechanism for your body.”
When the body produces sweat, heat is released from the skin, and the body can cool down.
The inability to sweat, however, is an indicating symptom of heat related illness.
Sweating plays an essential role in thermo regulation.
“The best way your body can regulate temperature is through sweating,” Locke said. “Especially in heat, this helps you cool down significantly.”
Sweat is a defense mechanism that the body uses to protect against heat. It is important for the body to sweat and maintain temperature.
However, when sweating occurs, the body can lose large amounts of fluids.
Rehydrating after sweating is crucial for recovery and maintenance of fluid.
“We are mostly water,” Richardson said. “If you do not have water, you cannot live. Your body needs a lot more water than you think.”
Dehydration is one of the most common causes of heat illness. When a person is dehydrated, they become more easily susceptible to extreme temperatures.
Water is essential for the human body. If a person is not intaking enough water, fluid will exit their cells to compensate for the lack of intake.
This causes cells to shrink, which decreases the energy the cells can produce, leading to exhaustion and increased risk of illness.
“The first thing we assess in patients who have been experiencing heat illness symptoms, is their electrolytes and fluid balance,” Locke said.
“This gives us a picture of their hydration status and lets us know what treatment course to take.”
Dehydration can lead to more harmful problems such as kidney and urinary troubles.
Extreme dehydration can even send the body into shock, which could prevent blood from reaching all organs. Thus, bringing harm to the organs.
“You can have some dizziness, some nausea and vomiting,” Richardson said. “If it’s really severe and we’ve lost a lot of electrolytes, you’re going to see things like seizures, maybe loss of consciousness, stuff like that.”
The intake of fluids is crucial to maintaining good health.
The need is even more dire when temperatures are rising and sweating is increasing. Water is a natural remedy for heat related illness.
Water can aid in curing symptoms and help the body regulate temperature.
“If you are thirsty, it is too late,” Richardson said. “You are already dehydrated.”
In addition to decreasing symptoms of illness, hydration provides support to help the body concentrate.
When dehydration occurs, the body must work harder to protect your organs and maintain blood pressure.
This depletes large amounts of energy the body has stored for daily functioning activities.
“Your body is working so hard to keep you cool on the outside, that you can’t do much else because so much energy is taken up,” Richardson said. “Your body is doing so much that you can lose things like the ability to focus.”
There are many other symptoms of heat related illness including: dizziness, nausea, irritability, exhaustion, brain fog and dehydration. Knowing the signs and symptoms of heat related illness can help prevent harm to the body.
When high temperatures or extreme heat are on the forecast, it is important to prepare.
“Wear loser fitting clothes,” Richardson said. “Drink lots of water, and place cool rags over your ears and feet.”
Exercising in the cool morning or night, wearing loose fitting clothing and applying sunscreen, helps prevent heat related illness.
“I have a personal friend who had a severe case of sun poisoning two years ago,” Locke said.
“She still struggles with symptoms related to heat illness and sun exposure.”
Medical professionals recommend adding sunscreen to your daily routine. This added layer of protection supplies a simple step for healthy living in areas with high sun exposure and heat.
“The body’s largest organ is the skin,” Locke said. “It is important you wear a sunscreen with high SPF to block the sun’s rays and protect your body. Extreme heat exposure is no joke.”
Sun protection is a great tool to have in any arsenal, however, no matter what the season.
The damages of high temperatures and extreme heat can be costly to health.
Heat has a large impact on both physical and mental health.
Knowing the symptoms of heat related illness, and how they affect the body can help prevent harm.
When the heat index reaches high levels as those did during summer of 2023, it is important to take preventative measures to remain healthy.
