This summer has been hot, really hot, and the heat seems to be never-ending. Phoenix Arizona hit 118 degrees F on Saturday, which was the 23rd straight day of over 110 degrees F temperature! This raises the question: What is too hot for humans to tolerate?
Heat kills more people in an average year than tornados, hurricanes, and floods combined. In Texas alone, extreme heat killed at least 306 people last year.
Heat affects people differently, with some groups more at risk than others (e.g., the elderly, the very young, those with health conditions). Those working or engaging in physical activity outdoors are also more vulnerable.
Our core body temperature is about 98.6 degrees F, which the body tries to maintain through sweating. But...when the outdoor temperature is hotter than that, especially with lots of moisture in the air, the body has difficulty cooling down. Prolonged exposure to high heat can lead to all sorts of health problems (heat stress, heat exhaustion, heat stroke) and even death.
The following article describes 3 main ways extreme heat can kill a person: organ failure, heart attack, or kidney failure. Depending on the conditions, symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke can occur after only a few hours.
Excerpts from NPR: Here's what happens to the body in extreme temperatures — and how heat becomes deadly
Of all extreme weather conditions, heat is the most deadly. It kills more people in the U.S. in an average year than hurricanes, tornadoes and floods combined. The human body has a built-in cooling mechanism – sweat. But that system can only do so much, especially in soaring temperatures with high humidity. ...continue reading "Different Ways Extreme Heat Can Kill A Person"