Heat is like a sunburn. There’s not much you can do AFTER you have a burn.
The heat is similar to sun exposure in that you don’t recognize it until after the fact. Also, repeated sunburns increase your risk of skin cancer. Unfortunately, when it comes to heat-related illnesses, there are no easy fixes. Our only options are hydration, rest, and a cooler environment. For this reason, a cooling plan should not revolve around what to do when someone develops the symptoms, as in the chart below, but rather around how to avoid these issues from the beginning.
10,000 Deaths Annually, and rising!
According to the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC), heat directly kills around 1,200 people each year in the U.S. alone, a number that’s risen from 700 just a few years ago and repeated heat-related illnesses can cause heart and other organ issues, like premature aging on par with smoking and alcohol consumption.
First, “heat causes the most weather-related deaths in the U.S.” From 2004 to 2018, it led to 702 deaths annually. However, experts believe the number is much higher, likely around 10,000 annually.
Why the discrepancy? Heat is rarely listed on death certificates. When people die from complications exacerbated by heat, whether from heart failure, stroke, or even complications from conditions like Alzheimer’s, heat is often not officially noted as the cause.
There are concerns other than just death; the CDC lists six types of heat-related illness, some of which are significant issues on their own and can cause long-term damage to your body. Unfortunately, the public health impact of extreme heat is difficult to compile because hospitals and healthcare providers are not required to report heat-related illnesses. The following is a breakdown of these illnesses into two categories.
First is the progression your body takes when you are overheating.
-
Heat Cramps are muscle spasms caused by a lack of salts and water in your body since these nutrients run out when sweating.
-
Heat Exhaustion is not about feeling tired. It is when your body begins to lose its ability to regulate your internal temperature. Along with cramps, symptoms include low-grade fever, nausea, thirst, and headache.
-
Heat Stroke is a medical emergency! Your organs have begun to shut down, and your body cannot return to its normal temperature without medical intervention. Heat stroke can cause permanent disability or death if you do not receive emergency treatment.
The second category is things that may occur depending on what you are doing or due to other circumstances surrounding what you are experiencing. They are:
-
Heat Rash is a skin irritation caused by excessive sweating during hot, humid weather.
-
Heat Syncope is a fainting episode or dizziness when in a hot environment. This can be caused by dehydration or lack of acclimatization, and your blood pressure can change dramatically when your body works hard to expel excess body heat.
-
Rhabdomyolysis is a medical condition associated with heat stress and prolonged physical exertion. Rhabdo causes the rapid breakdown, rupture, and death of your muscles. When your muscle tissue dies, electrolytes and large proteins are released into the bloodstream, causing irregular heart rhythms, seizures, and kidney damage.
Why don’t you know when you are overheating?
Because of the physiology of cooling, it usually happens slowly. To unpack this, we must first discuss how your body cools itself.
When you get hot, you sweat, and it cools the body, which is an essential part of the cooling process. The loss of water from sweating is why hydration is critical. However, we forget to address how the heat gets to the skin by only discussing sweat.
Remember, as a “warm-blooded” animal, your body is constantly producing excess heat through the work of all of your organs. This heat generally travels through your bloodstream to the skin.
Because of this, the circulatory system is your body's most important heat exchange system, and hot days add extensive stress to your heart.
When you start to overheat, your blood vessels dilate to allow more of that hot blood to flow to the skin; this is why you may get red in the face. As your blood vessels dilate, your heart needs to pump faster to maintain blood pressure and get all the energy to your organs and muscles so they can function correctly.
FACT: The extra work by your heart keeping you cool is a major contributor to fatigue.
Your heart health extends to many areas of a person's overall health. We will discuss these risk factors in the coming blogs.
Heat can slow your roll, whether you are at home or work!
Organizations like OSHA use words like "productivity" to describe the efficiency of people making things on the job. It's essential to take the phrase productivity out of that context and consider it in terms of everyday life.
In a study of workers in India, when temperatures were over 80°F, workers' productivity dropped by as much as 4 percent per degree! Put that another way, if the temperature is 85°F, you can expect a 20% reduction in what you accomplish. Now, think how energetic you are on a 100°F day because 60% of your body's energy will cool you.
On a 100°F day, you are working at 40% capacity.
Here’s another way to look at the 85°F day. If you were out watching your child's T-ball game, you would have left during the 7th inning. Most importantly, you wouldn’t see them make that game-saving catch. Or you would need an extra two hours of sleep to make up the difference, missing out on your favorite evening TV show or a nice morning breakfast.
Join us to Think Cool.
Let’s review sunburn prevention. We use sunscreen to reduce the risk of skin cancer and to fight off the uncomfortable nature of sunburn. It is time we thought about a cooling plan to do the same for heat. With a complete understanding of yourself, your environments, and the tools available, you can reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses and live more comfortable, productive, and fun-filled lives doing the things you love.
Unfortunately, when it comes to heat-related illnesses, there are no easy fixes. Our only options are hydration, rest, and a cooler environment.
And remember, repeated heat-related illnesses can cause heart and other organ issues like premature aging on par with smoking and alcohol consumption.
Stay Cool,
Team ThermApparel
Next Up, Part 3: Personal Risk Factors for Heat Stress - How Age, Health, and Lifestyle Impact Your Risk in Extreme Heat
Part 3 is all about you. We’re breaking down the personal risk factors that can make you more vulnerable to heat-related illness, from age and medical conditions to activity level and environment. Understanding these risks is key to creating a safer, more effective cooling plan, whether managing your heat sensitivity or caring for children, older adults, or individuals with chronic health conditions.
**This website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your doctor or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on ThermApparel’s website. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room immediately. Neither ThermApparel nor its employees, nor any contributor to this website, makes any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use.