It is usually recommended that the body's cold should be maintained.BBC Future is looking into the old advice that is worth adhering to face the high temperatures.
Heat waves hit large parts of the world from Japan to the United Kingdom, and from Algeria to California.In every country there are tips on how to face high temperatures.
But which tips have a scientific basis?We will search for evidence that proves the validity or refute of the subsequent advice.
"Get to drink cold drinks, not hot"
During the heat wave it is advised to drink a lot of fluids, because it is necessary to compensate the fluids that the body loses to protect the kidneys.But which is better for the body in hot weather, hot or iced drinks?
The controversy is still constant about the temperature of the drinks that it is recommended to eat when the temperatures rise, as the supportive team of hot drinks sees that it temporarily increases the inner body temperature, and then makes you sweat, which helps to cool the body.The human body may secrete up to two liters of sweat per hour, and this is the effective way to reduce the inner body temperature.
But if the fluids your body lost, you will soon be dehydrated.That is why some advise to avoid hot drinks completely.Some believe that it is preferable not to drink more tea and coffee because it contains caffeine that causes dehydration.However, there is not enough evidence to prove that moderate quantities of caffeine helps in diuresis.
On the other hand, some research has concluded that cold drinks are better for the body than hot in hot weather.As many studies were conducted, in which the participants were asked to perform arduous exercises, then the researchers measured their body temperature while drinking hot or cold drinks.The researchers concluded that cold drinks are more effective in cooling the body.
However, the way used to measure temperature may have affected the health results of the study.The researchers measured the volunteer body temperature from the rectum (anal opening).
تخطى البودكاست وواصل القراءةالبودكاستمراهقتي (Morahakaty)Teenage taps, from the presentation of a dignity as a vehicle and prepared by Mays Baqi.
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Oli Jay, associate professor of the physiology of the thermal organization at the University of Ottawa, pointed out that the fluids from cold drinks descend directly to the stomach, and this means that they are not far from the anal thermometer..That is why it was not surprising that the researchers noticed that the temperature decreased after drinking cold fluids.
When his team measured the body's body temperature from eight different areas of the body, they concluded that the body temperature was more low after drinking hot drinks compared to cold drinks, because hot drinks stimulated the sweating process, as they expected.
This means that hot drinks are more effective than cold in cooling the body, as they increase the amount of sweat that the body produces.However, hot drinks do not help cool the body if the humidity is very high or in the event of wearing heavy clothes that prevents the evaporation of sweat.In these two cases, it is preferable to drink cold fluids.
So, this advice is wrong, because hot drinks are faster in cooling the body compared to cold drinks, except in the case of acute height in the humidity rate.
"المراوحالكهربائيةلا غنى عنها في الطقس الحار"
The electric fans may help soften the atmosphere and reduce the heat, but these fans are in fact not cooling the air, but they move it from one place to another, and it is assumed that the air emitted from the electric fan will help increase the efficiency of the natural heat regulation mechanisms that the body resort to when the temperatures rise.Like moving heat outside the body across the skin and evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin.
Electric fans are used in many homes.One of the reports indicated that three patients were treated from sunstroke using the air from a light fan.
But the evidence proving the effectiveness of electric fans in cooling the body is still conflicting.For example, researchers at the Crockeen Medical Research Foundation in 2012 tried to prepare a review of the best experiments around the world about the electric fans and their evaluation, but they did not find enough evidence to prove its benefit or harm during the temperature waves.
While some research has concluded that electric fans help cool the body, others concluded that the fans may hinder the regulation of body temperature..
The researchers believe that the electric fans in general may contribute to the loss of body temperature if the weather does not exceed 35 degrees Celsius, but if it exceeds 35 ° C (i.e. 37 ° C or higher according to some studies), then the hot air emitted from the fanIt may help the body gain heat, then its harm will be greater than its benefit, and will lead to thermal exhaustion.If the weather is very hot, the fans may lead to dehydration.
The effect of fans decreases in the event of high humidity rates.Because the air driven by the fan in the room will be saturated with moisture, and then it will hinder the evaporation of sweat.
We conclude from this, then, that if the temperature reaches 37 ° C, it is advised to close the electric fans.
"The heat waves will only be affected by the elderly."
We do not deny that hospitals receive many patients during the high temperature waves, and most of these elderly patients.
This is due to the fact that the ideal body temperature that the body organizes is efficiently between 36 and 37.5 ° C.The skin, tissues inside the body and organs of the body include thermal receptors that may immediately feel any temperature increase even if it is by one degree Celsius..
If the air temperature is higher than the body temperature, the body begins to secrete sweat to feel cold.The body expels the heat outside by pumping blood into the hands and feet, and for this we feel the heat of the ends at night.
These two methods to regulate the body temperature require a double effort from the heart, and therefore the elderly may sometimes develop a heart attack or heart failure when the temperatures of the weather are high..
Contrary to the severe cold waves, the damage to the severe temperatures may develop quickly, as it was noted that most of the deaths due to the heat waves occurred within 24 hours of their inception..
The other problem is that maintaining the internal body temperature increases as it gets as it gets older, and the elderly may not notice that the temperature of his body rises in a way that exceeds the body's ability to get rid of it, and for this the elderly is faster than the young man suffers from.
But this does not mean that the elderly alone are the most affected by the damage of heat waves, as infants and people with chronic diseases are also more likely to develop health problems due to high temperatures.
This also applies to people with motor disabilities who find it difficult to walk to the window to open it or bring drinks to make up for the fluids that their body loses due to sweating.
If the weather remains hot day and night, it may be difficult for the body to organize the temperature.It is estimated that the heat wave that ravaged Europe in 2003, claimed the lives of at least 30,000 people, and sources said that the death toll reached 70,000 people.
In France, the heat wave in the same year killed 15,000 people, of whom 1.321 people under the age of 64.
This means that this opinion is wrong.It is true that the elderly should be cautious during the high temperature waves, but the same applies to many others.
"افتح جميع النوافذ"
When temperatures rise abroad, most of us immediately resort to opening windows.But opening windows during the day, may bring in reverse results.
The windows do not open unless the air outside is cooler inside, as is probably the case at night.If the weather is very hot, you should close the windows during the day.Because the air inside may be colder from it outside due to the shadow.
Even if the air breezes come from the window to your office or home, this air will not help cool your body if it is hot, not to mention that the air may be loaded with pollen pills, if it is widespread in high numbers in the air, and pollen has exacerbated the symptoms of allergies.
So, if the air outside is more hot than it inside, the windows do not open.But opening windows at night may help soften the atmosphere.
"Drink beer"
In the movie "Ice Cold in Alex", which was produced in 1958, John Mills dreamed of escaping from the desert and drinking a cup of beer (beer)..
But does the iced beer already help cooling the body?This idea is not completely correct.
In a study conducted in 1985, the participants were asked to perform exercise in a hot and wet environment, and as expected, the flow of urine reached its peak immediately after the beer, and this indicates that the body loses fluids and does not keep it.
But the effect of alcohol -free beer is almost different from the effect of low -alcohol beer.
A recent study concluded that mathematical drinks or energy and water drinks were more effective than beer in compensating the body for what it lost from the fluids, but the beer was also more effective than they expected to compensate the fluids lost by the body.
A Spanish study was conducted in which the participants exercised for 40 minutes on the running device, and the study concluded that the beer is no less effective than water in compensating the body for the fluids that it lost during the training..But no one knows the reason behind this, even though the beer helps in the diuresis.
One study attributed this to the fact that when the body is dehydrated and needs fluids, it maintains beer more than it maintains other fluids.
However, all of these studies were narrow, and did not focus on body temperature, and therefore we cannot be certain that beer helps cool the body.But it may prove that the reasonable quantities of beer as much as a cup or two small cups may compensate the body for the fluid it has lost and will not be dehydrated.
So, this opinion is right, at least if you drink reasonable quantities of beer, which does not exceed Cuba or two cups.
You can read the original topic on BBC Future
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