Normally, your body is accustomed to a certain temperature range, usually between 97 and 99 degrees Fahrenheit. According to Dr. When your brain senses a change, either lower or higher than that, it tries to help your body cool down or warm up, says Judith Linden, executive vice chair of the department of medicine at Boston Medical Center.
“There are a number of different ways in which (the brain) tries to refresh the body. One way, the most common way we think, is for you to sweat,” Linden said.
The pores open, the body sweats and the sweat evaporates, which cools the body. The second way your body cools is by dilating your vessels and increasing your heart rate, which helps bring heat and blood to the surface of your body and then helps release that excess heat.
When you are exposed to high temperatures, it becomes more difficult for your body to try to keep up with cooling. And if your environment is hot and humid, sweat doesn't evaporate as easily, which pushes your body temperature even higher, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"The higher the humidity, the lower the temperatures you need for extreme heat," Linden said.
High body temperatures can lead to damage to the brain and other vital organs. They can also lead to some heat-related illnesses.
Types of heat-related illnesses
According to Dr. Linden, ailments related to mild heat, including cramps are the most common. Heat pains can develop in people who sweat a lot, including during exercise. Excessive sweating uses up all the body's salt and moisture and can lead to pain or muscle spasms, usually in the abdomen, arms or legs.
A skin irritation caused by excessive sweating in hot, humid weather can also develop and is more common in young children. It is usually a red cluster of pimples or blisters and tends to be in places including the neck, upper chest or in the creases of the elbows.
Warning signs of ill health may include extremely high body temperatures, red and dry skin, a rapid pulse, headache, dizziness, nausea or loss of consciousness.
Translated by CNN