Heatwaves: How does the heat affect the body? Chinese herbal tea helps you cool down.
A record high temperature of 41C has been warned for the parts of the UK today. Heat can affect anyone, but some people have a greater risk of serious harm than others, such as older people and babies. What is the effects of heat on the body and why there is risks in the heat. What does extreme heat do to our bodies? As the body gets hotter, blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow to disperse the heat from the body. This leads to lower blood pressure and makes the heart work harder to push the blood around the body. The body sweat to help remove the heat too. Sweating leads to the loss of fluids and salt and ratio of fluids and salt. One can get mild symptoms such as an itchy heat rash or swollen feet as blood vessels become leaky. More severe symptoms from heat exhaustion include: dizziness, nausea, fainting, confusion, muscle cramps, headaches, heavy sweating, tiredness. If blood pressure drops too far, the risk of heart attacks rises. Why do the bodies react like this in heat wa...