Cooling mechanisms for human body

Our body is a efficient in more ways than one, from the digestion of our food all the way to keeping us cool in the summer heat. In fact, keeping us cool in the summer heat is done through a variety of means, but our cooling system can be jeopardized. It’s a well known fact that our bodies average temperature is 98.6 degrees and when the outside environment is lower than that, the means of heat transfer keeps us cool. Here in Mid-Missouri that hasn’t been the cause lately, as temperatures have been well over 90 degrees with heat indices near 110 degrees, this poses a challenge for our bodies cooling system.

In general our bodies cool themselves off in 4 ways, that being radiation, conduction, convection, and evaporation.

– Radiation is done by giving off our body heat to the surrounding environment.

– Conduction is done through giving off heat to whatever our skin comes in contact with (whether it be a cold metal chair or water). In fact, we lose body heat 25 times faster in cold water than just standing out in the open.

– Convection is done through air or water flowing by the skin and carrying away body heat.

– Evaporation is the single most effective way of cooling off. When we get hot our body sweats, the sweat in turn collects on our skin and pulls the heat from our body. The sweat sits on our skin until it is evaporated, which in turn is a cooling process and causes us to feel cooler.

Those 4 things, are important in maintaining a balance in heat gain and heat loss, but with rising temperatures it poses a problem for a body. When temperatures are well over 98.6 degrees, our body can’t exchange heat with the surrounding environment creating a build-up of heat in our body. This heat is what can be deadly to us through heat related illnesses. This is why when temperatures are extreme, we always recommend to stay hydrated, wear loose-fitting clothing, and limit your exposure in the sun.