According to the authorities, heat should not be underestimated
Published: Tuesday, Jul 30th 2024, 08:00
Updated At: Tuesday, Jul 30th 2024, 08:10
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According to the Swiss weather services, Tuesday (today) is likely to be one of the hottest, if not the hottest day of the summer. Temperatures could reach up to 35 degrees.
The federal government and several cantons have published recommendations on how to deal with the heat and warn against underestimating the high temperatures. The Department of Health and Social Affairs of the Canton of Vaud, for example, wrote that misbehavior in the heat could lead to serious health consequences even for healthy people. On its natural hazards portal, the federal government warns of a level 3 (considerable) heat risk for the Lake Geneva basin, large parts of Valais and the southern part of Ticino with the Misox GR.
WHAT DIRECT EFFECT DOES HEAT HAVE ON THE BODY?
As soon as temperatures rise, the human body tries to keep its temperature stable at around 37 degrees. To do this, it activates various mechanisms such as the dilation of blood vessels in the skin and sweating. The dilation of the blood vessels releases heat on the surface of the body. Sweat helps to cool the skin through evaporative cooling.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS OF HEAT?
It can happen that the mechanisms for heat regulation are overloaded. Symptoms such as exhaustion, headaches, sleep disorders or fever then occur. Sometimes such complaints are symptoms of more serious health problems. These include sunstroke caused by spending too much time in the sun or dehydration, where the tissues are excessively dehydrated.
The most dangerous is heat stroke, which can even lead to death. This is a dangerous form of overheating in which the body temperature rises to over 40 degrees.
WHICH PEOPLE ARE PARTICULARLY AT RISK?
The heat is particularly dangerous for adolescents, especially children under the age of five. Chronically ill people are also at higher risk, as their bodies are less able to adapt to extreme conditions.
Older people are another risk group. The number of sweat glands in the skin decreases with age, meaning that older people are less able to compensate for heat by sweating.
During heat waves, sweat glands are permanently stimulated to produce sweat. After a few days, however, the sweat glands dry up for the time being, as a result of which sweat production decreases. This causes the body's core temperature to rise. This is exacerbated by the fact that heat stress increases energy requirements and exceeds the capacity of an older person.
WHAT LIVING CONDITIONS MAKE HEAT EVEN MORE DANGEROUS?
Some people are also more at risk due to their living conditions. Heat stress is greater in densely populated cities than in the countryside, especially in poorly insulated buildings or attics. In addition, air pollution is sometimes added to the heat in large cities.
People who work outdoors, such as construction workers, are also severely affected by the heat. Homeless people also suffer particularly badly because they often have nowhere cool to retreat to.
WHAT PROTECTIVE MEASURES ARE RECOMMENDED?
When outside temperatures are high, it is important to drink plenty of fluids and stay indoors in cool rooms as much as possible. Health authorities warn against leaving the house during the particularly hot midday hours. They advise keeping the home cool by darkening it, for example. If the ceiling falls on your head at home, you should look for a change of scenery in air-conditioned rooms such as museums, libraries, cinemas or shopping centers. Physical exertion or even outdoor sports are not recommended.
Health experts also advise drinking regularly, and not just when you feel thirsty. Alcohol consumption is not recommended in the heat. On the other hand, you should make sure you eat enough.
Elderly people are advised to check in regularly with relatives and not to hesitate to ask others for help. The cantons of Uri and Vaud called on their residents to consult their family doctor or call the family doctor emergency service if necessary.
©Keystone/SDA
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