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Treatment is directed at making the affected person feel more comfortable, and, if possible, resolving the underlying cause of the heat intolerance. Symptoms can be reduced by staying in a cool environment. Drinking more fluids, especially if the person is sweating excessively, may help.
The human body maintains a core body temperature at around 37 °C or 98.6 °F through mechanisms controlled by the thermoregulatory center within the hypothalamus.When the body is exposed to high ambient temperatures, intense physical exertion, or both, the thermoregulatory center will initiate several processes to dissipate more heat: [9] [11] [12]
Heat stroke - Defined by a body temperature of greater than 40 °C (104 °F) due to environmental heat exposure with lack of thermoregulation. Symptoms include dry skin, rapid, strong pulse and dizziness. [7] Heat exhaustion - Can be a precursor of heatstroke; the symptoms include heavy sweating, rapid breathing and a fast, weak pulse.
Hypothermia is defined as a body core temperature below 35.0 °C (95.0 °F) in humans. [2] Symptoms depend on the temperature. In mild hypothermia, there is shivering and mental confusion. In moderate hypothermia, shivering stops and confusion increases. [3]
Other circumstances also affect the body's temperature. The core body temperature of an individual tends to have the lowest value in the second half of the sleep cycle; the lowest point, called the nadir, is one of the primary markers for circadian rhythms. The body temperature also changes when a person is hungry, sleepy, sick, or cold.
Heat stroke is a clinical diagnosis, based on signs and symptoms. It is diagnosed based on an elevated core body temperature (usually above 40 degrees Celsius), a history of heat exposure or physical exertion, and neurologic dysfunction. [5]
Targeted temperature management (TTM), previously known as therapeutic hypothermia or protective hypothermia, is an active treatment that tries to achieve and maintain a specific body temperature in a person for a specific duration of time in an effort to improve health outcomes during recovery after a period of stopped blood flow to the brain. [1]
In humans, hyperthermia is defined as a temperature greater than 37.5–38.3 °C (99.5–100.9 °F), depending on the reference used, that occurs without a change in the body's temperature set point. [3] [10] The normal human body temperature can be as high as 37.7 °C (99.9 °F) in the late afternoon. [2]