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The human body is able to regulate its own temperature and keep it constant. Chronic illnesses can significantly impair this heat regulation. People with cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases (e.g. COPD, asthma), kidney disease, diabetes or neurological diseases such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's are particularly at risk.
The body reacts to heat by dilating the blood vessels. This lowers blood pressure, so people with cardiovascular diseases need to be particularly careful. Taking blood pressure-lowering medication intensifies this effect. If the heart is diseased, heat regulation is much more strenuous for the body. More energy is needed to release excess heat through the skin and thus cool the body.
Heat and UV radiation cause air quality to deteriorate. The concentration of pollutants such as particulate matter or ozone in the air increases. At the same time, drought stress can cause changes in pollen release. All of this irritates the respiratory tract and puts additional strain on people with respiratory diseases during heat waves.
Due to the increased strain on the entire body, the lungs must also take in more oxygen and release carbon dioxide. This is usually already very limited due to the underlying disease itself.
In dialysis patients, urine production is limited or no longer present. Body fluids are therefore not excreted via urine, but via the skin and through dialysis. General recommendations on drinking habits therefore do not apply to people with kidney disease. It is necessary to consult with the dialysis doctor in good time.
Metabolic disorders, such as diabetes, can limit the body's ability to adapt to heat. Sweating and heat dissipation through the dilation of blood vessels function more slowly and less effectively than in healthy people. In older diabetes patients, the feeling of thirst also diminishes. In turn, insufficient fluid intake increases blood sugar levels.
The dilation of blood vessels also causes insulin to be distributed throughout the body faster than usual. This can lead to hypoglycaemia.
Heat can trigger a temporary worsening of neurological symptoms in patients with a neurological disease. Neurological disorders can often lead to impaired thinking and mobility. Both of these make it more difficult to adapt to the heat. Some medications used to treat neurological disorders interfere with the body's heat regulation.
In addition to our general tips, you can protect yourself from heat in the following ways:
