There is a weapon to beat the hot: know him.
We must prepare ourselves for the harmful effects it triggers in our organism and on the points that are most easily targeted by high temperatures. Both body and psyche. Knowing everything about the enemy allows us to better face this climatic insult. That touches the glaciers, the rivers now roads of only mud and us too. The extreme weather like that of the last few weeks is, in fact, a traumatic event. We only think about fatigue, mental confusion or the headache which, alternately, appear together with the mix of humidity and high temperatures.
THE DANGERS
Normally, the body cools down by sweating, but under certain physical and environmental conditions this is not enough. If, for example, the humidity is very high, sweat does not evaporate quickly and body heat is not eliminated effectively. The temperature therefore rises rapidly and can damage several vital organs and the brain itself. On the website of the Ministry of Health (salute.gov.it Heat waves) we read the list of possible risks: sunstroke, cramps, congestion, swollen legs, dehydration, effects on pressure, collapse, heat stroke, aggravation of pre-existing diseases, fever. «The heat is a very stressful condition. The organism is put to the test. Vasodilation due to high temperatures causes an increase in the volume of the vessels and a decrease in blood pressure, leading to sudden headaches, uncertain balance and falls – explains Giorgio Sesti, president of the Italian Society of Internal Medicine – For this it is important to know the effects of the heat. It is not just a matter of following the rules, but rather our organism must be listened to in these conditions. If you are exposed to extreme heat for too long and fail to properly release that heat, stress can cause a cascade of problems throughout your body. The danger is not exhaustion itself but that it alters our perceptions. From attention to balance, in fact. Furthermore, the level of humidity not only makes the condition particularly difficult to bear but hinders the body from dispersing the heat we have accumulated. It is clear, therefore, that until years ago facing the summer heat was much easier, I would say natural. Today we must protect ourselves as we do when it is very cold or when a devastating storm arrives. We really need to change some habits to capture the best of summer while avoiding the dangers ».
NEW HABITS
In the past, it was mainly young children, the elderly and those with chronic illnesses who were vulnerable to extreme heat (peaks above 35 degrees were touched but only for a few days). Today the summer weather is becoming a danger for everyone, even for those who are fit. The human body is not designed to deal with temperatures above 37 ° C, the heat causes problems when it alters the regulation system. “The body has some systems to deal with the heat, such as sweating, but when the heat is constant outside, the body is unable to recover, and the muscles and heart cells literally begin to die and degrade”, reads a research on the great heat-health relationship by the working group of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University led by Professor Kari Nadeau. Hence the new habit, to start this summer: before moving or before organizing trips and trips, consult the “Caldo e Salute” app activated by the Ministry of Health. In a simple and immediate way it monitors the climatic situation on a map of the Peninsula. Furthermore, each region should have prepared a bulletin on the forecast of heat waves. «The“ instructions for use ”against the heat – adds Sesti – must become the daily basis to better face this and the next summers. By now we know that climatic conditions, until drastic changes are brought about, will force us to face high temperatures in the future as well. Better to learn and explain to both the little ones and the older ones, the grandparents, that one must defend oneself so as not to ruin, for example, the days of vacation. But also to preserve the body from the shock of the temperature.
THE PATHOLOGIES
The extreme heat conditions, let us remember, can cause an aggravation of the health conditions of people with chronic diseases. From those with diabetes to those with heart and respiratory or kidney problems. To these must be added all the patients who, after Covid, have problems to keep under control. From the lungs to the heart ». Some studies suggest, in fact, a lower tolerance to heat of people who have developed a post-Covid syndrome characterized, even months after the end of the infection, by symptoms such as cough, difficulty breathing, sleep disturbances or dizziness “. Once well prepared, go out, preferably in the cooler hours, to fully enjoy the summer. Between light gusts of wind, impalpable clothes, an ice cream and the sense of freedom that these months give us. Never forgetting that “Under this beautiful sun you can ride / but you have to sweat / under this red sun with breathlessness and / not even to drink …” (Francesco Baccini with the Bicycle Thieves 1990).