Why does extreme hot weather kill people?

[raccoon]

I heard about people dying in a heat wave in India.

[Taverner]

1. Poor hydration for one, also the very young and very old are prone to heat stroke

[Dorian Gray]

2. Dehydration

If people dont have air conditioning, they are probably constantly sweating. If they don't drink enough, they could die.

Also, the stress on the body can cause shock, and if someone is elderly or of ill health, it could be detrimental to their overall health.

[hobbit709]

3. Can't cool off, body overheats, you die.

[SteppingRazor]

4. Just as cold kills by hypothermia, so heat kills by hyperthermia.

That is, the body's temperature rises when it absorbs more heat than it can get rid of through perspiration, etc.

[Statistical]

5. Really?

Heat Stroke is a medical emergency and can result in death within minutes.

The simply explanation? Body is unable to cool itself and overheats. Usually this is caused by dehydration however extreme heat can make it difficult to consume enough liquids to avoid dehydration.

The military takes heat injuries very seriously. Human body can eventually adapt to most conditions however a rapid change in ambient temperature can't be compensated for in short period of time.

[supernova]

6. Dehydration

And exhurtion that's too much for their bodies on a given day.

People who come from cooler climes don't know when they are dehydrated in a hot climate. Generally, in a tropical zone, if you wait til you are thirsty, you are behind on hydrating.

And old people don't feel it as much. Then it's too late.

:-(

That's why so many died in France a couple of years ago during the European heat wave. They lived in older buildings with no a/c (and not meant for it, either) and without fans, even.

[friendly_iconoclast]

9. People can "heat harden", though you must be in good shape to do so.

As a skinny yoot in Florida, I worked construction in the summertime. Lunch was often a half-gallon of orange juice,
a gallon of water and a bag of large pretzels, followed by a half-hour nap. We worked about half speed on the
hottest days.

Like you said, dehydration and hyperthermia can sneak up on you, with the elderly especially vulnerable.

[havocmom]

7. Dehydration mostly; with loss of water comes loss of essential minerals

Body chemistry changes, brain & muscle can't work properly, wastes can't be moved, you get poisoned; and/or heart, circulation fails

Weird thing is, sometimes there is euphoria and you feel like you can do anything. Then you crash.

[ixion]

8. The heat, mostly.

:+

[Manifestor_of_Light]

10. Lack of evaporation of sweat. Thus no evaporative cooling.

That's why humid heat (like we got here in Texas) is deadly. Because of the humidity, it does NOT cool off at night, either. It can often be 90 degrees at midnight and humid.

The sweat does not evaporate. Attic fans are like a convection oven, they just make you hotter.

I have had heat exhaustion several times in my life and it is not fun.

Ya gotta have AC in Texas to take the water out of the air, as well as cool down the air.

Now as far as dry heat, I assume it's dehydration.

I once heard Houston described as a "freon-controlled life support system". Which is true. :D


I grew up without central air and it was fucking miserable, even with a couple of inadequate window units.