HOUSTON — Hot weather can feel like a nuisance but it can have an extreme effect on your body.
When the body gets above its usual temperature -- around 98.6 degrees -- it takes a series of actions trying to cool us off. Blood starts pumping, blood vessels dilate, and tiny capillaries go to work trying to pull the heat to our skin’s surface. The sweat glands also kick into gear, pushing liquid that includes salt onto our skin. When that liquid, better known as sweat, evaporates it also helps to cool us off.
All these operations, while essential, can do damage.
Those dilated blood vessels mean vital organs like the heart and lungs can be getting less oxygen, according to Science News. Sweating increases your risk of dehydration, which also puts pressure on the heart and can also do damage to your kidneys. Meanwhile, all that salt in your sweat can leave you with a chemical imbalance by removing electrolytes that are essential to keeping our bodies going.
For people who work outside, the heat can also increase their risk of injury. Sweaty hands can make it harder to get a good grip, humidity can fog up safety glasses and dehydration can make you dizzy. That can all add up to more job site accidents.