[__ Science __ ] Does Extreme Heat Effect Your Concentration?

[HeIsRisen2018]

I was just wondering because although the temperature is only in the seventies today it's extremely humid outside and I had to hurry back from my bike ride because I felt like I was losing my concentration and not to mention I got dizzy earlier. I always drink quite a bit so I'm pretty sure that I'm hydrated enough, but I still wonder if these problems are heat related.

 

[Tessa]

I think humidity causes a few things because it is harder to breathe properly

 

[Barbarian]

Temperatures in the 70s should not produce any heat-related problems for a healthy person.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Temperatures in the 70s should not produce any heat-related problems for a healthy person.

I know, but what about the humidity since that was somewhere around the eighties yesterday.

 

[WIP]

High humidity will also reduce the body's ability to cool itself by sweating because the air is unable to evaporate and absorb the moisture from our body. Essentially, at 100% relative humidity, evaporation will not occur to speak of because the air is saturated with moisture and can't take any more. It is the evaporation of our sweat that cools our body and if evaporation can't happen, we can overheat. That's how I understand it.

To answer your initial question, yes. If my body cannot cool itself my brain begins to overheat and this can affect its ability to function.

 

[ezra]

Temperatures in the 70s should not produce any heat-related problems for a healthy person.

where do you find 70* degree weather this time of year? Not in MISSOURI

 

[Barbarian]

where do you find 70* degree weather this time of year? Not in MISSOURI

It was only 97 degrees in North Texas today, but we'll be back up by the end of the weekend.

 

[ezra]

It was only 97 degrees in North Texas today, but we'll be back up by the end of the weekend.

never been there i am told with out humidity high heat is not real bad.. its been very humid down in the south of mo .we need rain it either rains north north west and dives down to ark

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

It was only 97 degrees in North Texas today, but we'll be back up by the end of the weekend.

Only 97 degrees??? Gosh, I knew Texas gets extremely hot weather, but just exactly how hot does it get down there?

 

[ezra]

ohio has hot weather also
parts of texas is in the dessert

 

[WIP]

Relatively speaking, here in central MN we have rather temperate weather, although with the many lakes in the area humidity can get up there a bit at times. The real advantage we have is that most of the time, it cools off at night. So, during the summer months, at this house we open windows at night to allow the house to cool and then close the windows and window coverings during the day to trap the cool temps inside. Typical nighttime temps will be down in the low 60s or 50s so the house may sometimes be a bit chilly in the morning but that's why we have clothing.

We don't have central air here but we do have window air conditioners for our bedrooms for those few nights that don't cool off enough. By managing the windows the way we do we have only use the AC about maybe 3 or 4 nights out of the year on average.

I also stress the importance of being a little tolerant of short-term discomfort. For example, yesterday it was 92 degrees with high humidity and it only cooled to about 68 overnight. Today it's predicted to be in the mid to upper 80s with high humidity continuing but the rest of the week is expected to cool back down into the 70s during the day and 50s at night so I have not installed the window AC units for just one or two nights.

Unfortunately, our society has become too intolerant of temperature change. We install climate control in our homes and will not accept a little short-term discomfort. Around here that means some will run their furnace at night and the AC during the day instead of letting nature do the work. What a waste of energy and careless practice with regard to air pollution.

 

[ezra]

Unfortunately, our society has become too intolerant of temperature change. We install climate control in our homes and will not accept a little short-term discomfort. Around here that means some will run their furnace at night and the AC during the day instead of letting nature do the work. What a waste of energy and careless practice with regard to air pollution.

i lived in discomfort for years we used fans hot in the day hot at night... i worked at the charcoal plant out on the dock where they screened the lump charcoal . hot dirty no air moving no fan i got sick and decided buy a window a/c ,if i had the money i would put central heat and air in

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Relatively speaking, here in central MN we have rather temperate weather, although with the many lakes in the area humidity can get up there a bit at times. The real advantage we have is that most of the time, it cools off at night. So, during the summer months, at this house we open windows at night to allow the house to cool and then close the windows and window coverings during the day to trap the cool temps inside. Typical nighttime temps will be down in the low 60s or 50s so the house may sometimes be a bit chilly in the morning but that's why we have clothing.

We don't have central air here but we do have window air conditioners for our bedrooms for those few nights that don't cool off enough. By managing the windows the way we do we have only use the AC about maybe 3 or 4 nights out of the year on average.

I also stress the importance of being a little tolerant of short-term discomfort. For example, yesterday it was 92 degrees with high humidity and it only cooled to about 68 overnight. Today it's predicted to be in the mid to upper 80s with high humidity continuing but the rest of the week is expected to cool back down into the 70s during the day and 50s at night so I have not installed the window AC units for just one or two nights.

Unfortunately, our society has become too intolerant of temperature change. We install climate control in our homes and will not accept a little short-term discomfort. Around here that means some will run their furnace at night and the AC during the day instead of letting nature do the work. What a waste of energy and careless practice with regard to air pollution.

We have our windows open here an awful lot too when it's cool enough to have them open that is. Usually we have our air conditioning on all summer and add that to an icy cold glass of lemonade and I pretty much have it made.

 

[ezra]

come to mo
Today
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. South wind 6 to 8 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 74. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
add the humidity it will feel like 100 * and you will want several glasses of lemonade

 

[lisa-in-FL]

Unfortunately, our society has become too intolerant of temperature change. We install climate control in our homes and will not accept a little short-term discomfort. Around here that means some will run their furnace at night and the AC during the day instead of letting nature do the work. What a waste of energy and careless practice with regard to air pollution.

I've got a pretty old A/C unit so I try not to run it as much during the day but the heat and sun can be relentless here in FL. I'm running a fan in the room I'm in now to keep cool.
Last Summer after Hurricane Irma blew through there were several trees down on my street so they had to clear the street and put up several new poles and restring the power lines. Took 5 full days, which is actually less than some people I know (one friend waited 2 weeks). The catch is I'm on a well and the pump runs on electricity, so no power equals no running water. The weather was very calm after the storm so at night the air is very hot and still. I was able to borrow a generator from a friend who got their power back on for days 4 and 5 so I had a couple of fans blowing and the fridge plugged in for plenty of cold drinks.
Short-term discomfort, yes. But not fun when you are going through it! (I was unemployed at the time too so added stress)

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

come to mo
Today
A 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 95. South wind 6 to 8 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 74. South wind around 6 mph becoming calm in the evening.
add the humidity it will feel like 100 * and you will want several glasses of lemonade

Sorry, I forgot to mention to you that the only other vacation that I might be taking this year is to Pittsburgh. Oh yeah and to see my fiancée. Other than that, I'm done traveling for the year.

 

[Barbarian]

Only 97 degrees??? Gosh, I knew Texas gets extremely hot weather, but just exactly how hot does it get down there?

Well, right after the Civil War, Gen. Sherman was assigned to Texas. He remarked that if he owned Hell and Texas, he'd live in Hell, and rent out Texas.

That's how hot it gets.

 

[Razeontherock]

where do you find 70* degree weather this time of year? Not in MISSOURI

That's spelled Misery, haha

We were in the 90's today, up here in WI. High humidity, too; 70+%, lol. I know you'd love to have humidity as low as 79%

This coming week we'll have highs in the 70's, time to work on the yard and fix my vehicles

 

[ezra]

That's spelled Misery, haha

watch it buddy we have crazy weather patterns. in the winter i call it the maybe forecast . we get left overs

 

[Razeontherock]

Hah, hi temp tomorrow 64. Friday 67.