WHO chapter Havenith 2005.pdf (120.11 kB)
Temperature regulation, heat balance and climatic stress
This paper discusses human thermoregulation and how this relates to health problems
during exposure to climatic stress. The heat exchange of the body with the environment is
described in terms of the heat balance equation which determines whether the body heats
up, remains at stable temperature, or cools. Inside the body the thermoregulatory control
aims at creating the right conditions of heat loss to keep the body temperature stable. In
the heat the main effector mechanism for this is sweating. The heat balance is affected by
air temperature, radiant temperature, humidity and wind speed as climatic parameters and
by activity rate, clothing insulation and sweat capacity as personal parameters. Heat
tolerance is discussed in the light of personal characteristics (age, gender, fitness,
acclimatisation, morphology and fat) indicating age and fitness as most important
predictors. Heat related mortality and morbidity are strongly linked to age.
History
School
- Design
Citation
HAVENITH, G., 2005. Temperature regulation, heat balance and climatic stress. IN: Kirch, W., Menne, B. and Bertollini, R. (Eds.) Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses. Berlin: Springer-Verlag, pp. 69-80.Publisher
Springer-Verlag © World Health OrganizationVersion
- AM (Accepted Manuscript)
Publication date
2005Notes
This book chapter was published in the book Extreme Weather Events and Public Health Responses [Springer-Verlag © World Health Organization]. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.com.Publisher version
Language
- en