How extreme heat affects the human body — and can eventually kill you – CBC

High temperatures can bring heart attacks, kidney failure and even poor judgment

Jul 27, 2023

Around the world, heat records keep being shattered. And it’s proving deadly.

More than 100 people have died from heat-related causes in Mexico so far this year, along with dozens across multiple U.S. states. In Arizona — a desert state which has faced several weeks of temperatures above 40 C, breaking (and re-breaking) a five-decade record high — residents keep dying from heat stroke or facing life-threatening burns after falling on scalding pavement.

Canada isn’t faring much better, with heat warnings throughout the Western provinces and several suspected heat-related deaths in B.C., where a “heat dome” killed more than 600 people in 2021.

So why is extreme heat so dangerous to the human body?

Scientists say it’s because high temperatures have a negative impact on multiple organs, putting strain on the heart, muddying your memory, causing rapid dehydration and eventually leading to death if your body can’t cool down fast enough.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/extreme-heat-affects-human-body-1.6918886