When it’s this hot in Singapore, is it more likely you’ll become sick?
For the past few days, you’ve been working out outside in the sun, as well as entering and exiting air-conditioned workplaces. Consultation with a medical professional to learn more about the potential consequences for your well-being. In addition, can one increase one’s resistance to illness by drinking enough water?
Drinking too little water has been linked to immune system dysfunction because “all systems depend on water to move smoothly,” as Dr. Li explained in an interview. Would expect the heart and blood pressure to be affected first before any significant influence on the immune system occurs. The immune system is one of the last systems affected by illness.
Let’s face it: It’s always hot in Singapore, no matter what the forecast says. As a result of being only 137 kilometers north of the equator, this is what you get.
We’ve also been experiencing record-breaking temperatures this year. A daily high temperature of 34 degrees Celsius was recorded on 22 days during May. For seven days a month prior, we were perspiring at least 35 degrees Celsius per day.
Primarily if you work or exercise outside, dehydration and heat stroke are severe dangers in this area. Drinking more water, staying in the shade, turning on the fan, and wearing light, breathable clothing is simple ways to keep calm and hydrated in the heat.
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Isn’t it possible that the heat can make you more prone to becoming sick? Although acknowledged mainly in traditional Chinese medicine, does it hold up in the realm of conventional medicine?
Your body prefers a temperature of 37 degrees Celsius for its core (give or take a degree or two). When it comes to your organs, this is the ideal temperature: You can get hypothermia if it’s too cold or too hot, respectively. When your body is unable to regulate its temperature, you can suffer from both of these potentially life-threatening illnesses.
When your hypothalamus detects a temperature change, it sends out signals to your body. Sweating and dilation of blood vessels help to cool and remove heat from the body. The constriction of blood vessels and the induction of shivering are two of the mechanisms used by the body when it becomes cold.
However, a lot of people have resumed their workday schedules, and we’ve already established that scenarios like leaving a sub-zero building for lunch in the sweltering midday sun and then returning to the workplace in sub-zero temps are being played out every day.
“Our core temperature is well-regulated and should not affect our immune system in theory,” says Dr. Derek Li, a family physician at Raffles Medical. Despite the potentially considerable changes in ambient temperature, the core temperature is maintained within a restricted range.
Dr. Li went on to say that our immune systems are “to some extent” responsive to fluctuations in temperature.
Asthma, allergic rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis can all be triggered by extreme temperature changes; thus, persons who are sensitive to heat may not be able to handle it well. In addition, these allergies may “come from an intrinsically overactive immune system,” according to this theory.
According to Dr. Li, this means that not drinking enough water could affect the immune system “since all the systems are dependent on water to move smoothly.” However, core systems like blood pressure and cardiac function are expected to be severely disrupted first, long before any significant impact on the immune system is felt. A person’s immune system is among the last to be compromised.
Still, you can’t use that as an excuse not to fill up your water bottle. Dr. Li emphasized that staying adequately hydrated is essential for good health in general.
