Published on
Updated
Reading 1 min.
in collaboration with
Dr Gérald Kierzek (Medical Director)
After being on orange or red heat wave alert, certain regions of western or northern France suddenly lost 15 or 20 degrees in a few hours. Why fear an impact on health? Answer with Dr Gérald Kierzek, emergency doctor and medical director of Doctissimo.
From 40 degrees, to 20 or 25 degrees at most in one night. If it was appreciated, the sudden thermal contrast which refreshed the West or the North of France confused more than one. Opening the door to ENT inflammation, sore throats, chills… for residents who haven’t had time to get used to the change in temperature. But can such a gap affect health, or even be dangerous for the body and the heart?
A contrast, but not a thermal shock
For Dr. Gérald Kierzek, emergency physician, it is above all necessary to be precise about the terms used and what they induce. “We read here and there that people are at risk of thermal shock, but this is not the case. What is called a thermal shock is a hydrocution, when you go from 40 degrees outside, and you dive into water at 20 degrees. In this case, the blood vessels close in the periphery, leading to a variation in cardiac output, or even cardiac arrest” he recalls.
“The drop in temperature that we experience is a thermal differential, but cannot be called thermal shock.”
Consult a dermatologist online
Possible ENT irritations
If the difference in temperatures generated does not entail vital risks, it can however affect your form differently: “This drop in temperature, on the other hand, can quite easily create irritation in the airways, in the ENT sphere, and lead to inflammation. A bit like when you take the plane and you are subjected to the air conditioning for hours“ explains the doctor.
What can be done to avoid this irritating effect? Add a thickness if necessary, and above all “avoid turning on the air conditioning, subjecting yourself to other temperature differences” advises Dr. Kierzek.