Temperature stress | Description, Symptoms, Physiology, & Prevention (2024)

FAQs

What is temperature stress in physiology? ›

Temperature stress, either febrile or cold, is associated with nitrogen loss, increased adrenal activity, and increased protein turnover, resulting in a decrease in total serum protein, a decrease in albumin, and often an increase in α₂-globulin.

Thermal stress is the stress produced by any change in the temperature of the material. Thermal stress is induced in a body when the temperature of the body is raised or lowered and the body is not allowed to expand or contract freely. Thermal stress includes both heat and cold stress.

Heat stress happens when the body's way of controlling its internal temperature starts to fail. As well as air temperature, factors such as work rate, humidity and work clothing may lead to heat stress. You and your workers must be aware of how to work safely in high temperatures.

temperature stress, physiological stress induced by excessive heat or cold that can impair functioning and cause injury or death. Exposure to intense heat increases body temperature and pulse rate.

Thermoregulation is the maintenance of physiologic core body temperature by balancing heat generation with heat loss. A healthy individual will have a core body temperature of 37 +/- 0.5°C (98.6 +/- 0.9°F), the temperature range needed for the body's metabolic processes to function correctly.

Heat stress increases the total metabolic rate and anaerobic participation during submaximal exercise, and these increases are somewhat abated by heat acclimatization. Exercise-heat stress reduces hepatic blood flow and increases hepatic glucose release.

Psychogenic fever is a stress-related, psychosomatic disease especially seen in young women. Some patients develop extremely high core body temperature (Tc) (up to 41°C) when they are exposed to emotional events, whereas others show persistent low-grade high Tc (37–38°C) during situations of chronic stress.

High temperature (HT) stress is a major environmental stress that limits plant growth, metabolism, and productivity worldwide. Plant growth and development involve numerous biochemical reactions that are sensitive to temperature. Plant responses to HT vary with the degree and duration of HT and the plant type.

One of the most common examples of thermal stress is the fracturing of glass that occurs when we heat the glass to a high temperature and immediately dip into cold water. The crack and fracture in the glass are different than the one that occurs as a result of the impact.

What is the most serious heat-related illness? ›

Heat stroke is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body can no longer control its temperature: the body's temperature rises rapidly, the sweating mechanism fails, and the body is unable to cool down. When heat stroke occurs, the body temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.

Workers at greater risk of heat stress include those who are 65 years of age or older, are overweight, have heart disease or high blood pressure, or take medications that may be affected by extreme heat. Prevention of heat stress in workers is important.

However, if the deformation of the body is constrained, some stresses are induced in the body, and such developed stresses are called temperature stresses which may be tensile or compressive based on either the contraction is prevented or extension is prevented.

Heat stress occurs when the body cannot adequately cool itself and typically results from prolonged exposure to high temperatures. Psychological symptoms can include stress, irritability, sleep disturbances, reduced motivation, decreased mood and enjoyment, and agitation (Table 1).

Experimental evidence indicates that even relatively mild thermal stress may affect human performance. Tasks requiring manual dexterity and muscular strength are clearly impaired by cold exposure, while decrements in vigilance performance and endurance are well documented effects of heat stress.

Abstract. Thermoregulation is a vital function of the autonomic nervous system in response to cold and heat stress. Thermoregulatory physiology sustains health by keeping body core temperature within a degree or two of 37°C, which enables normal cellular function.

Heat stress includes a series of conditions where the body is under stress from overheating. Heat-related illnesses include heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat rash, or heat stroke, each with its own symptoms and treatments. Symptoms can range from profuse sweating to dizziness, cessation of sweating, and collapse.

Temperature stress may cause low germination rates, inhibition of growth, limited photosynthesis and plant death. However, plants defend against temperature stress by regulating membrane lipid composition, stress-related transcription factors, and metabolite synthesis [51] .