warmth and sanity is the new combination that is the focus of much international research. We already know a lot about the effects of heat waves on physical health. This is where the biggest risks come from heatstroke or fainting due to low blood pressure.

Many feel particularly fragile when the thermometer exceeds 30 degrees. The higher perception due to the high humidity makes the situation worse. In recent years, however, research centers have also been looking at the significant mental health effects of sweltering heat. Already from the experience of all of us we have noticed it an increase in nervousness when values ​​become unbearable.

High temperatures and humidity make emergency room access difficult

The emergency room data speak for themselves. There is a significant increase in admissions to the emergency room for heat stroke and fainting, but also for important effects, the dehydration can have on the brain.

This situation is so important that regions are sending real alerts to hospitals so they can prepare for a disaster higher patient flow when hot weather conditions are forecast. Even if temperatures exceed the seasonal average by 5%, experts estimate that emergency room visits will increase by around 10%.

Heat and Mental Health: Symptoms worsen in people suffering from anxiety and depression

New studies confirm heat waves in people who already have depression or anxiety, make symptoms worse. Of particular concern to psychiatrists is the fact that on the hottest days Suicide rates are also increasing. Experts calculate an increase of +2.2% above the monthly average for each grade. Even those who suffer from it bipolar disorder experiences a marked increase in manic episodes.

Even those who suffer from anxiety can see the risk of an increase panic attack. Fatigue, dizziness and shortness of breath increase the feeling of being in mortal danger. From here, as we know, the risk of having a panic attack becomes a real possibility.

Heat and mental health: Even in healthy people, the brain does not function properly

Heat and humidity are a deadly cocktail for our brain’s cognitive functions. Excessive heat has the direct result of excessive vasodilatation. As a result, less oxygen and less glucose reach the brain, causing it to malfunction.

Even in healthy young adults, high temperatures have a negative effect on memory and quick thinking.

Temporary cognitive decline

Research on students from the prestigious MIT showed that students who took the test in an unair-conditioned classroom during a heat wave received 13% lower grades than those who took the test in an artificially cooled classroom. You can read the results in the specialist journal Plos medication.

Even sleep is disturbed by heat and humidity. The consequences are serious, especially if the heat wave lasts for several days.

Even psychotropic drugs work badly

This already problematic framework brings with it another problem. Psychotropic drugs are often less effective when high humidity is combined with heat. The case in point is antipsychotics that suppress thirst. Hot, muggy days can lead to severe dehydration.

Heat and reason – that’s why we become more aggressive

The decline in cognitive performance, combined with the problems already struggling with people with mental illness, also leads to an increase in episodes of aggression and violence. Here, too, the cause must be sought in the fact that the serotonin level in the brain drops drastically. It is a hormone that gives us relaxation and the ability to think.

At the same time, there is an increase in glutamate, a neurotransmitter that has a powerful stimulating effect on brain circuitry. Several studies agree that a temperature increase of just a few degrees increases aggressiveness by up to 5%. It is estimated that climate change could be responsible for an increase in crime of up to 5% worldwide by 2090.

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