The specialists of the blog ‘Health and prevention’ warn in a new post about the risks that heat can cause to the brain and put special emphasis on the most vulnerable population, the elderly and children.
With high temperatures you have to be very careful because their impact on health is maximum, affecting different levels and organs, without sparing the brain. Have you ever heard the expression that ‘The brain melts’ in the heatYes, you have to be very careful because high temperatures can damage brain health. Have you noticed that your brain doesn’t work the same when it’s hot?
According to Dr. Rafael Arroyo, head of the Department of Neurology at the Ruber Juan Bravo University Hospitals (Madrid) and Quieónsalud Madrid, it is true that, from a certain temperature and heat, there is a lack of attention, a lack of concentration, and the speed of the brain decreases: “There are studies that show that the performance of our cognitive abilities is worse when the ambient temperature is high”.
Regarding the temperature and heat at which the brain functions significantly worse, this expert points out that the hypothalamus, which regulates temperature, functions abnormally above 40 degrees and becomes blocked. “These are temperatures that we must clearly avoid because the brain of most people will function incorrectly,” he adds.
In fact, he maintains that the body normally functions at a temperature of approximately 37 degrees and, in general, when a person reaches an extreme temperature, such as 40 degrees, the hypothalamus stops working and alterations in temperature control occur.
All of this causes dysfunction in many organs: the brain loses attention and concentration; the kidneys, in an attempt to maintain temperature, stop filtering; and states of drowsiness, stupor, or even coma can occur in very extreme situations with high dehydration,” the neurologist emphasizes.
The most vulnerable population
Dr. Arroyo warns that, “without a doubt,” there are people who are much more vulnerable to high temperatures than others, first of all, the older population.
In older people, their thermoregulatory system is much more altered, especially if there are associated pathologies,” he says. At the same time, he points out that small children are also very vulnerable, especially those under three years of age.
In this regard, he adds that, although all people in general can be affected, especially in vulnerable populations, it is very characteristic that headaches or migraines worsen with high temperatures, as well as multiple sclerosis, or other diseases such as sleep disorders, or neurodegenerative diseases.
In turn, this neurologist maintains that the temperature rise It usually produces a decrease in attention and concentration and, in many cases, a greater degree of irritability: “For this reason, people with psychological and/or psychiatric disorders (anxiety, depression and even psychotic disorders) may see their irritability increase and their previous symptoms become worse.”
Changes in short periods of time
However, he warns that usually for neurologically important situations to occur, withstand high temperatures for long periods of time, but sometimes it warns that, when the change is very abrupt, for example when it goes from a very low temperature to a very high temperature, the thermoregulatory systems digest it poorly.
“Both prolonged exposure to high temperatures and very sudden changes are the two factors that cause our central nervous system to respond in an abnormal and pathological way,” adds the head of the Neurology Department at the Ruber Juan Bravo and Quirónsalud Madrid University Hospitals.
In fact, we asked him about the studies that link violence with hot climates. Does that make sense? This expert acknowledges that this is due to the increase in irritability and sleep deprivation in people, which occur more in these conditions. “When we sleep well we are smarter and calmer; while when we sleep poorly we are less intelligent and much more irritable, and this encourages aggressiveness,” he adds.
Sleep, the main victim
Dr. Arroyo also highlights the fact that one of the most common problems people experience when the temperature rises too much is difficulty sleeping and, consequently, difficulty in getting the brain to function properly.
“When we sleep poorly, our attention span decreases, our memory worsens, and learning becomes more complicated. At the same time, we are more irritable,” he insists.
For this reason, it is important that the temperature of the environment is adequate when it is time to sleep, because if not, all these consequences will be felt the next day and will greatly affect the quality of life.
It is essential to condition the room well, ensure ventilation, perform moderate physical activity outside of rest periods, avoid stimuli such as televisions or mobile phone screens and eliminate, as far as possible, anxiety or anguish typical of daily life,” says this neurologist.
In this sense, it is certainly advisable to avoid, and especially the most vulnerable people, exposure to heat or heat sourcesin addition to avoiding going outside during the hottest times, and maintaining adequate hydration.
“Of course, we must try to prevent the body from focusing on tasks that are not essential, such as physical exercise during the hottest times, or heavy meals, or the consumption of alcoholic beverages, which consume a lot of water when being processed by the metabolism,” highlights this expert.
(With information from EFE)
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