Winter Weather and Your Health: What It Does to Your Body
- That temperature remains stable as long as there's a balance between the heat your body produces and the heat you lose.
- Most heat loss - about 60 percent - happens through radiation: your body constantly gives off heat to its surroundings.
- As the temperature drops, your body prioritizes keeping vital organs warm.
How your Body Loses Heat
A normal body temperature is around 37 degrees Celsius. That temperature remains stable as long as there’s a balance between the heat your body produces and the heat you lose. The colder it is outside, the harder it becomes to maintain that balance.
Most heat loss – about 60 percent – happens through radiation: your body constantly gives off heat to its surroundings. You also lose heat through conduction,like when you touch a cold object. Evaporation plays a role too, such as when sweat evaporates during exertion in cold conditions.you lose heat through breathing: you exhale warm air and inhale cold air.
How Your Body Protects Itself
Fortunately, the human body adapts well to cold. As the temperature drops, your body prioritizes keeping vital organs warm. This happens partly as blood vessels in your arms, legs, hands, and feet constrict. This preserves more heat for the heart, lungs, and brain. The downside is that fingers, toes, and the nose feel cold more quickly.
You can also produce more heat by using your muscles. You can do this actively by moving, but your body also dose it automatically by shivering.
When Does Hypothermia Occur?
If the body loses too much heat despite these measures, hypothermia can occur. This is when your body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius, and in ex