PHOENIX — We’ve all been affected by the heat, one way or another.
However, health experts say that the high temperatures we are experiencing not only have the possibility of causing physical harm. ABC15 health expert Dr. Shad Marvasti says that high temperatures it can also affect mental health.
Our team went to a local gas station to ask people how the heat affects them.
“My first year here, I didn’t think I was going to make it,” Lala Patterson said.
Patterson is from New York and says the summers here are brutal.
“The heat can be exhausting, especially if you’re out all day,” he added.
However, Jeanette Woods appreciates the warm temperatures.
“I like it hot,” Woods said with a smile.
That’s because she’s used to the cold winters that come with living in Chicago.
Although Woods and Patterson can agree that this heat is affecting them more than physically.
“People seem to get angry with the heat. Their attitude totally changes and they’re angrier,” Woods told ABC15.
Dr. Marvasti says there is a reason for that.
“Heat can kill us in more ways than one. Not just physically, but also mentally,” said Dr. Marvasti.
He says that he can push people to the limit.
“If someone is already in a defiant state, they may have an increased suicidality. Your depression gets worse. Or someone can become more aggressive and make a bad decision that can lead to violent crime,” she added.
Dr. Marvasti says that extreme heat will also affect your sleep.
Sleep experts say that when you sleep, your body’s core temperature should drop by one degree. Therefore, when there is high heat, it is more difficult to sleep.
Therefore, falling asleep in a cool, dark room will help. He also says that staying cool, limiting time in the sun, and staying hydrated will also ease mental or physical stress caused by heat.
“That’s why I only go from the house to the car, from the car to work, from work to the train. That’s it,” Woods told ABC15.
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