a process that naturally cools the body in hot humid
weather?
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Convective cooling is the name of the process
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A close look at the complex systems that keep us functioning can inspire awe. Such is the case with the body's complicated temperature-regulating mechanism.
This intricate apparatus balances heat production with heat loss, keeping the body at a temperature just right for optimal function. This balancing act is directed automatically and seamlessly by the hypothalamus, a small portion of the brain that serves as the command center for numerous bodily functions, including the coordination of the autonomic nervous system.
Much like a thermostat regulates the temperature inside your home, the hypothalamus regulates your body temperature, responding to internal and external stimuli and making adjustments to keep the body within one or two degrees of 98.6 degrees.
Systematized
But unlike a thermostat, which simply turns the heat or air conditioning on or off until a desired temperature is reached, the hypothalamus must regulate and fine-tune a complex set of temperature-control activities. It not only helps to balance body fluids and maintain salt concentrations, it also controls the release of chemicals and hormones related to temperature.
The hypothalamus works with other parts of the body's temperature-regulating system, such as the skin, sweat glands and blood vessels — the vents, condensers and heat ducts of your body's heating and cooling system.
The middle layer of the skin, or dermis, stores most of the body's water. When heat activates sweat glands, these glands bring that water, along with the body's salt, to the surface of the skin as sweat. Once on the surface, the water evaporates. Water evaporating from the skin cools the body, keeping its temperature in a healthy range.
Sensitive
In a related function, blood vessels react to the introduction of outside organisms, such as bacteria, and to internal hormone and chemical changes by expanding and contracting. These actions move blood and heat closer to or farther from the skin, thus releasing or conserving warmth.
When all parts of the body's heat-regulating mechanism operate smoothly, body temperature stays near 98.6 degrees. However, there are times when body temperature can go awry.
Heatstroke | Hot flashes | Fever
Heatstroke
On most days, the hypothalamus reacts to increases in outdoor temperature by sending messages to the blood vessels, telling them to dilate. This sends warm blood, fluids and salts to the skin, setting off the process of evaporation.
"Problems occur when a person is in the heat for a long time or in such extremes of heat or humidity that the evaporation process fails," says Edward Ward, MD, director of the emergency department at Rush University Medical Center.
In prolonged heat exposure, the body sweats so much that it depletes itself of fluids and salts, leaving nothing to sustain the evaporation process. When this process ceases, body temperature soars and heat illnesses may result — including the most serious: heatstroke.
How you know it's heatstroke: Look for the following symptoms:
A body temperature above 103 degrees
Red, hot, dry skin
A rapid, strong heartbeat
A throbbing headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Getting help for heatstroke: Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency. If you have these symptoms, you need to cool down quickly while you or someone else calls for help.
"One of the most effective ways to cool down is to spray or douse your body with water and sit by a fan to kick-start the evaporation process," Ward says. "This will help decrease your temperature while you are waiting for medical assistance."
An ounce of prevention: Because heatstroke is so serious, Ward strongly advises focusing on prevention. This is especially true for people age 65 and older, who are at higher risk for heat illness simply because the regulating mechanism becomes less effective with time.
Additionally, cardiovascular and neurological conditions increase a person's risk for heatstroke, as do medications that interfere with the body's ability to sweat properly, such as antipsychotics and antispasmodics.
People who have these conditions or take these types of medications should pay special attention to the weather and the heat index — the combination of heat and humidity. If temperatures rise, drink lots of fluids and stay in a cool place.
"If you're worried or think you're having problems because of the heat, try to contact your primary care doctor," Ward says. "But if it's a real crisis, go to the emergency room. We'd much rather see you sooner than later."
This intricate apparatus balances heat production with heat loss, keeping the body at a temperature just right for optimal function. This balancing act is directed automatically and seamlessly by the hypothalamus, a small portion of the brain that serves as the command center for numerous bodily functions, including the coordination of the autonomic nervous system.
Much like a thermostat regulates the temperature inside your home, the hypothalamus regulates your body temperature, responding to internal and external stimuli and making adjustments to keep the body within one or two degrees of 98.6 degrees.
Systematized
But unlike a thermostat, which simply turns the heat or air conditioning on or off until a desired temperature is reached, the hypothalamus must regulate and fine-tune a complex set of temperature-control activities. It not only helps to balance body fluids and maintain salt concentrations, it also controls the release of chemicals and hormones related to temperature.
The hypothalamus works with other parts of the body's temperature-regulating system, such as the skin, sweat glands and blood vessels — the vents, condensers and heat ducts of your body's heating and cooling system.
The middle layer of the skin, or dermis, stores most of the body's water. When heat activates sweat glands, these glands bring that water, along with the body's salt, to the surface of the skin as sweat. Once on the surface, the water evaporates. Water evaporating from the skin cools the body, keeping its temperature in a healthy range.
Sensitive
In a related function, blood vessels react to the introduction of outside organisms, such as bacteria, and to internal hormone and chemical changes by expanding and contracting. These actions move blood and heat closer to or farther from the skin, thus releasing or conserving warmth.
When all parts of the body's heat-regulating mechanism operate smoothly, body temperature stays near 98.6 degrees. However, there are times when body temperature can go awry.
Heatstroke | Hot flashes | Fever
Heatstroke
On most days, the hypothalamus reacts to increases in outdoor temperature by sending messages to the blood vessels, telling them to dilate. This sends warm blood, fluids and salts to the skin, setting off the process of evaporation.
"Problems occur when a person is in the heat for a long time or in such extremes of heat or humidity that the evaporation process fails," says Edward Ward, MD, director of the emergency department at Rush University Medical Center.
In prolonged heat exposure, the body sweats so much that it depletes itself of fluids and salts, leaving nothing to sustain the evaporation process. When this process ceases, body temperature soars and heat illnesses may result — including the most serious: heatstroke.
How you know it's heatstroke: Look for the following symptoms:
A body temperature above 103 degrees
Red, hot, dry skin
A rapid, strong heartbeat
A throbbing headache
Dizziness
Nausea
Confusion
Unconsciousness
Getting help for heatstroke: Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency. If you have these symptoms, you need to cool down quickly while you or someone else calls for help.
"One of the most effective ways to cool down is to spray or douse your body with water and sit by a fan to kick-start the evaporation process," Ward says. "This will help decrease your temperature while you are waiting for medical assistance."
An ounce of prevention: Because heatstroke is so serious, Ward strongly advises focusing on prevention. This is especially true for people age 65 and older, who are at higher risk for heat illness simply because the regulating mechanism becomes less effective with time.
Additionally, cardiovascular and neurological conditions increase a person's risk for heatstroke, as do medications that interfere with the body's ability to sweat properly, such as antipsychotics and antispasmodics.
People who have these conditions or take these types of medications should pay special attention to the weather and the heat index — the combination of heat and humidity. If temperatures rise, drink lots of fluids and stay in a cool place.
"If you're worried or think you're having problems because of the heat, try to contact your primary care doctor," Ward says. "But if it's a real crisis, go to the emergency room. We'd much rather see you sooner than later."
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