Heat Stress

Stress is a situation in the body where the bodies ability to handle physical as well as mental tasks is severely hampered. A person may be stressed to a variety of reasons like doing many types of tasks at the same time, or working very hard without taking any breaks, meeting tight deadlines without taking rest in between. Stress can also occur due to the body getting exposed to heat for a very long time. This type of stress caused by heat is called heat stress. The reasons for heat stress is wearing heavy clothes in warm weather, working in very hot conditions, etc. The six major factors of heat stress are temperature which is the most important factor along with humidity, circulation of surrounding air, temperature of the surroundings, the clothing on the person and physical activity. The combination of all these factors in varying amounts at the same time can lead to heat stress. Heat stress can take a heavy toll on your health in case you don't take preventive measures soon. When the body is exposed to heat for a relatively longer period of time, the blood flow to the skin increases. As a result excess heat is released. When you are doing any physical work the blood flows to the muscles as a result of which release of heat through the skin is reduced. The most common symptoms of heat stress are exhaustion, heaviness in breathing, uneasiness and muscular cramps. As a result the physical working capacity of the body at that time decreases significantly. It is often observed that some people can take heat at all even for a short time while others are more tolerant to heat. However we should always take precautionary measures to avoid heat loss. We should first see to it that we are not exposed for a considerable time right under the sun, especially in mid afternoon. You should carry an umbrella or a wear a hat in that case. See to it that you wear light, cotton clothes if the climate is too hot. Also at your workplace see to it that the air conditioned is turned on if the environment is relatively hot. It is also necessary at your home that you have your roof and your walls insulated in case the climate in your city is warm throughout the year. See to it that all your rooms are well ventilated. All these preventive measures will decrease your chances of getting heat stress considerably. How does stress affect health?