Why people radiate heat

Walker, a physiology professor at the University of Arizona, has a cool explanation: The human body is like an engine that continuously generates large quantities of heat, and its radiator, so to speak, disperses heat least effectively in hotter climes.

Get smart. Sign up for our email newsletter. Sign Up. Support science journalism. Knowledge awaits. See Subscription Options Already a subscriber? Create Account See Subscription Options. Continue reading with a Scientific American subscription. This can be fatal. If you live somewhere without air conditioning and you have MS, you may be able to deduct the cost of your fans and cooling equipment as a medical expense.

This is usually only possible if your doctor has written you a prescription for it. If you have heat intolerance due to hyperthyroidism, speak with your doctor about treatment options that may help reduce your sensitivity.

Depending on the severity of your condition, this may include medications, radioactive iodine, or surgery. Dehydration, mineral loss, sun glare, and heat exhaustion can all cause heat-induced headaches and migraines. Here's what you need to know about….

Be prepared to deal with all sorts of weather. While there isn't a clear explanation for why people get chronic idiopathic urticaria, there are several triggers that can cause symptom flare-ups. Hives can be dark red, pink, or white bumps or raised areas. They may appear for no apparent reason. Here's why they happen and what to do. Autoimmune hives may not always have a known cause, or could be due to an underlying condition. Health Conditions Discover Plan Connect.

What Is Heat Intolerance? Medically reviewed by Suzanne Falck, M. What leads to heat intolerance? Hormones can also play a part, with women's body temperature varying across the month.

A dietitian's take. Your body temperature will also vary throughout the night as you drift between different sleep states. Professor Dawson says complaints about hot bedfellows is a relatively new phenomenon. For thousands of years in indigenous communities men and women didn't sleep together like out of post-Victorian England," he points out. The bed was the biggest purchase most families made after their house.