Related Concept Videos
02:45Responses to Heat and Cold Stress
Every organism has an optimum temperature range within which healthy growth and physiological functioning can occur. At the ends of this range, there will be a minimum and maximum temperature that interrupt biological processes.
01:28Factors Affecting Body Temperature
As a nurse, it is vital to understand the factors affecting body temperature to monitor variations and effectively evaluate deviations from regular.
Factors may include:
Factors may include:
01:25Increased Body Temperature
A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.
01:22Methods of reducing fever
The signs and symptoms of fever include hot and dry skin, flushed face, thirst, muscle aches, anorexia, headache, tachycardia, tachypnea, and fatigue. Elevated body temperature is reduced using two methods: pharmacological and nonpharmacological. Proper identification and treatment of the root cause of a fever is of utmost importance.
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
Pharmacological Methods of Reducing Fever:
01:26Requirements for Human Life
The Earth and its atmosphere have provided humans with air, water, and food, but these are not the only requirements for survival. Humans also require a specific range of temperature and pressure that the Earth and its atmosphere provides.
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
01:19Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature
Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...
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Heat Exposure, Heat-Related Symptoms and Coping Strategies among Elderly Residents of Urban Slums and Rural Vilages in West Bengal, India.
International journal of environmental research and public health·2022
Same author
Individually experienced heat stress among elderly residents of an urban slum and rural village in India.
International journal of biometeorology·2022
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Coping with extreme heat: current exposure and implications for the future.
1Department of Anthropology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health
|October 3, 2024
Summary
Future heat adaptation strategies can be informed by studying populations in extreme heat today. Indoor temperatures in low-income housing, especially in the tropics, often exceed outdoor levels, necessitating behavioral and biological adjustments due to limited access to cooling technologies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Extreme heat poses a growing threat, with future projections indicating outdoor temperatures at least 2°C higher than current levels.
- Studies of populations in hot climates offer insights into effective behavioral, biological, and technological responses to extreme heat.
- Indoor temperatures in low-income housing in hot regions, particularly the tropics, can be significantly higher than outdoor temperatures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To preview the effectiveness of future heat adaptation strategies by examining current conditions in extreme heat.
- To investigate the extent to which individuals living in extreme heat without air conditioning possess natural acclimatization.
- To identify knowledge gaps concerning indoor versus outdoor heat conditions and human adaptive responses.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing studies on individuals living in extreme heat environments.
- Case study examining indoor heat indexes in slum dwellings in Kolkata.
- Review of economic constraints impacting technological solutions like air conditioning.
Main Results:
- In Kolkata, slum dwellings experienced indoor heat indexes exceeding 41°C (106°F) for at least an hour daily during summer.
- Economic limitations make widespread technological solutions (e.g., air conditioning) unfeasible for many.
- Behavioral adjustments and biological acclimatization are critical for individuals lacking air conditioning.
Conclusions:
- Understanding current adaptations in extreme heat is crucial for future heat resilience planning.
- Further research is needed on individual heat exposure, indoor/outdoor temperature differentials, and human acclimatization.
- Behavioral and biological strategies are paramount for populations facing extreme heat without technological cooling.