Contents:
- Medical Video: High Blood Pressure | Hypertension | Nucleus Health
- What is thermoregulation?
- What happens if the ambient temperature changes suddenly?
- 1. Hypothyroidism
- 2. Disorders of the adrenal gland
- 3. Impaired insulin sensitivity
Medical Video: High Blood Pressure | Hypertension | Nucleus Health
Normal body temperature is around 36.5 to 37.5 degrees Celsius. Many things affect temperature changes in the body, one of which is the environment. Environment with extreme temperatures, such as too cold or too hot can cause various effects on the body.
Changes in temperature around a few degrees can affect body function. For example, your body temperature decreases 3 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius due to low ambient temperature, so you will experience mild hypothermia. Severe hypothermia can even cause heart attacks, strokes, and death. While at temperatures that are too high, it can cause brain damage. Therefore, when the body senses the temperature difference between the temperature in the environment and the temperature in the body, the body will automatically conduct thermoregulation, which is a process of adaptation of the body to accept temperature changes that occur around it.
What is thermoregulation?
The body's thermoregulation is so that the body's balance is maintained. When the body feels the temperature in the surrounding room, the first stimulus is received by the skin. The skin feels whether the temperature is too cold or too hot. After that, it signals the hypothalamus which will then take action in accordance with the environment around it. The signal will be given to the muscles, organs, glands, and other nervous systems, to respond to these changes in temperature. Body temperature is influenced by various factors such as season and weather and physical activity. Just as when you eat or drink, this activity will make your body temperature increase because of the process of energy production and burning of calories in the body.
What happens if the ambient temperature changes suddenly?
Sudden changes in ambient temperature can cause various effects on the body, such as:
1. Hypothyroidism
When you feel cold and then feel hot because of the ambient temperature, you may have a problem with the thyroid. The thyroid is one of the glands in the body that functions to regulate various metabolism, regulate heart rate, and body temperature. When this gland produces too much thyroid hormone, the body temperature will increase. On the other hand, this gland also produces T3 and T4 hormones which if the hormone production decreases, the body temperature will decrease. T3 and T4 hormones are also responsible for regulating energy use in the body and affecting the production of thyroid hormones.
Decreasing levels of thyroid hormones in the body can cause body temperature to decrease and slow down metabolism in the body. If the metabolic process slows down, other symptoms will appear such as fatigue and weakness, depression, constipation and brittle nails. If left untreated, hyperthyroidism can cause swelling in the face, hands and feet, a decrease in the sense of taste and smell, reproductive problems, joint pain, and even heart disease.
2. Disorders of the adrenal gland
The adrenal gland is located above the kidney and functions to produce the hormone cortisol which is the main hormone in the management of stress and metabolism. Disorders of the adrenal gland are often the result of a decrease in thyroid hormone. Temperature changes will affect thyroid hormones which then affect the adrenal gland disorders.
The consequences that arise due to adrenal gland disorders are emotional instability, difficulty getting up early despite getting enough sleep, always feeling tired and starving, and decreasing the immune system. Other symptoms that can appear are low blood sugar levels, numbness in the fingers, decreased sexual drive, and decreased body weight.
3. Impaired insulin sensitivity
Insulin is a hormone that has the main task of regulating blood sugar levels and changing blood sugar into the energy needed by the body. Therefore, homon is involved in the process of energy metabolism which can cause body temperature to change. Under normal circumstances, the body increases insulin production when body temperature rises and research says that injecting this hormone into certain parts of the brain can increase body temperature and accelerate the body's metabolism.
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