Outcry over heat in Europe.
1300 deaths have been claimed due to heatwave in Europe. The temperature has reached 40 degrees in many countries in Europe. Even though 50 degree temperature has become a common thing in India, but due to many reasons the people of Europe are not physically capable of tolerating this temperature. Not only in Europe, cases of deaths due to heat have also been reported in India. Now the question is whether it is Europe or India, when and how do deaths due to heat occur. Let us understand its science in simple language.
Most people think that a temperature of 45 or 50 degrees Celsius is fatal, whereas this is not always the case. Low temperature in summer also causes death, especially when there is high humidity in the air. Scientists do not just base the temperature on the heat index.
How does heat become deadly?
The normal body temperature of a human being is approximately 37 degrees Celsius (98.6°F). The body continuously tries to maintain this temperature. When the outside temperature increases, the body sweats. Sweat evaporates from the skin and removes excess heat from the body. If this process continues normally, the body controls its temperature even in extreme heat and the situation does not worsen.
People in Europe are suffering from the heat. Photo: Getty Images
The situation worsens when the environment becomes so hot or the humidity increases so much that the sweat cannot dry. If sweat does not evaporate, the body’s natural cooling capacity becomes weak. As a result, the internal temperature of the body increases rapidly.
When do things get worse?
The situation worsens when the environment is so hot or so humid that the sweat cannot dry. If sweat does not evaporate then body temperature will increase. Experts say that there could be many other reasons behind this. Such as staying in strong sunlight for a long time, not drinking enough water, doing continuous physical exertion or staying in closed and hot places.
Often the Meteorological Department also mentions the heat index along with the temperature. Heat index is a value which, by combining the temperature and the moisture present in the air, tells how much heat the body will actually feel.This can be understood with an example. If the temperature is 38 degrees Celsius and the humidity is 70 percent, the body may feel the temperature to be 45 degrees or even more. The reason for this is that due to excess moisture, sweat does not dry quickly and the body is not able to cool down. These circumstances worsen the situation.
When the body temperature reaches 40 degrees Celsius or more, the risk of heat stroke increases. This is a situation of medical emergency. If timely treatment is not received, the brain, heart, lungs and other organs of the body may stop functioning and death may occur.
Which is more dangerous?
The risk of heat stroke is greatest at certain ages and conditions. Such as elderly above 60 years of age, small children, pregnant women, construction workers, people working in agriculture or factories and heart-diabetes-kidney patients.
Lack of water increases danger
Experts say, lack of water in the body increases the risk of death. When there is excessive sweating, water and electrolytes keep coming out of the body. If water and minerals are not replenished from time to time, dehydration increases. This affects the blood circulation of the body and reduces the body’s ability to control temperature.
We are suffering from the heat in Europe. Photo: Getty Images
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), heat stress is a leading cause of weather-related deaths. It can worsen pre-existing diseases like heart disease, diabetes, mental health problems and asthma. Along with this, the risk of accidents and spread of some infectious diseases can also increase. Heatstroke is a medical emergency with a high mortality rate.
