Your health in hot weather
During extremely hot weather, it is easy to become dehydrated (lose too much water from your body) or for your body to overheat. If this happens you may develop heat cramps, heat exhaustion or even heatstroke. If you suffer from any chronic health conditions, your condition may become worse during a period of hot weather. It is therefore important to plan ahead and be prepared to beat the heat.
This page has information on:
What happens to your body in extreme heat?
It is very important that a person’s body temperature stays in the range of 36.1 – 37.8°C. If body temperature rises above this, a person may develop heat stroke. When the weather is very hot, the body has to work very hard and produce a lot of sweat to keep itself cool.
Under some conditions, sweating just isn’t enough and a person’s body temperature rises rapidly. This is more likely to happen when it is humid, or when a person is dehydrated (has lost water from the body) and cannot produce enough sweat. In addition, some people cannot cope as well with hot conditions as others. For example, elderly people and people taking certain medications are less able to produce sweat. Also young children produce more body heat, sweat less and have faster rising body temperatures.
Exposure to high temperatures can make existing illnesses seriously worse (for example trigger a heart attack), cause serious permanent injuries (damage to the brain or other vital organs) as a result of untreated heat stroke, and in extreme cases result in death.
Remember the 4 key messages to keep you & others healthy in the heat:
People most at risk
Everyone needs to take care in hot weather but some people are at higher risk of heat illness, especially if they live alone or are socially isolated.
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The following people are most at risk |
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People who are: |
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People who have a chronic illness, for example*: |
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People who have an acute illness such as: |
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People who take certain medications: |
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* These are only examples; there are many more conditions that may be affected in hot weather. If you are unsure whether you are at risk, discuss it with your GP
A note on prescription medications
Many prescribed medications can make the risk of heat-related illness worse. Also, medications can become less effective or occasionally more toxic when stored in the heat. Most medications need to be stored below 25°C (discuss with a pharmacist if unsure about correct storage temperatures). Everybody on regular medication should visit their GP to discuss how their medications could affect their health in the heat. For example, some medicines for blood pressure can decrease a person’s ability to sweat (which is the only way for the body to cool itself in the heat).
Examples of medications that can affect a person during hot weather are available in the section ‘information for health professionals’. It is best to go through this list together with your GP.