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Causes Heat Intolerance | 27th March, 2018

Most people do not like extreme heat, but you might find that you are always uncomfortable in hot weather if you have heat intolerance. Heat intolerance is also referred to as hypersensitivity to heat.
 
When you have heat intolerance, it is often because your body is not regulating its temperature properly. Your body regulates its temperature by maintaining a delicate balance between hot and cold. The hypothalamus is a part of the brain that regulates your bodys temperature. When you get too hot, your hypothalamus sends a signal through your nerves to your skin, telling it to increase sweat production. When sweat evaporates off of your skin, it cools your body down.
 
Heat intolerance has a variety of potential causes.
 
Medication
One of the most common causes of heat intolerance is medication. Allergy, blood pressure, and decongestant medications are among the most common.
 
Allergy medications can inhibit your bodys ability to cool itself by preventing sweating. Blood pressure medications and decongestants may decrease the blood flow to your skin. This also inhibits sweat production. Decongestants can cause increased muscle activity, which can raise your bodys temperature.
 
Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant that can increase your heart rate and speed up your metabolism. This can cause your body temperature to rise and lead to heat intolerance.
 
Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism occurs when your thyroid produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. Thyroxine affects the regulation of your bodys metabolism. An excess of this hormone can cause your bodys metabolism to increase, which leads to a rising body temperature.
 
Being heat intolerant can make you feel as though you are overheating. Heavy sweating is also very common in people who have heat intolerance. The symptoms may occur gradually, but once the intolerance develops, it usually lasts for a day or two. Other potential signs of sensitivity to heat include:
 
headache
dizziness
weakness
cramping
nausea
Your heartbeat might also be faster than normal.
 
Heat intolerance may lead to heat exhaustion under severe circumstances. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include:
 
confusion
loss of consciousness
vomiting
muscle cramps
body temperature of 104ºF (40ºC) or higher
elevated heart rate
rapid breathing
If you experience these symptoms in addition to heat intolerance, seek medical attention immediately. Heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke if left untreated. This can be fatal.
 
Your Health Is Our Concern!
 
Mawuena Workartey/ Ghanahospitals.org

     
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