30 degrees in April and a heat wave every summer: Global warming has been here for a long time. This makes it all the more important that we arm ourselves against heat – but can we even get used to high temperatures? Environmental physician Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann explains in an interview to what extent we can “learn” heat.
A few days over 30 degrees and lots of rain again and again: Summer 2024 does not yet feel like a hot summer. But that is deceptive: Statistically speaking, June was the twelfth month in a row that reached or exceeded the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement – which does not mean that the Paris 1.5 degree target has been missed. Longer-term average values are needed for this assessment. In any case, one thing is clear: it is getting hotter.
What can we do to better tolerate heat? Can we train our bodies to cope with it? And how can we tell when it’s too much and the heat is affecting our health?
That’s exactly what I asked Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann. She is the director of the Institute for Environmental Medicine and Integrative Health at the University Hospital Augsburg and the director of the Institute for Environmental Medicine at Helmholtz Munich. The doctor is also a member of the German Advisory Council on Global Environmental Change (WBGU) and the special representative for climate resilience and prevention at the Bavarian State Ministry of Health and Care.
Environmental physician in Utopia interview
Utopia: It’s currently over 30 degrees in Munich again – can you ever get used to such temperatures?
Prof. Dr. Claudia Traidl-Hoffmann: Yes and no. If you are young and healthy, you can adapt to these temperatures, but you can never really get used to them. Because if I spend the whole day outside in the blazing sun at 35 degrees, I will die. If you are healthy, you can get used to it to a certain extent. But the heat clearly shows us our limits – and these sometimes start at 28 or 29 degrees.
Utopia: If humans are adaptable to a certain degree, how can we specifically train ourselves to better tolerate heat?
Traidl-Hoffmann: This is mainly done by athletes who want to run a marathon in Hawaii, for example. They do tough training in the heat and try to adapt.
Heat training only recommended for professional athletes
Utopia: This seems risky even for fit and healthy people without medical supervision.
Traidl-Hoffmann: Absolutely, this is not for the average consumer. We shouldn’t challenge ourselves like professional athletes do.
Utopia: Do you have to start getting used to the heat again every year – similar to how your skin has to get used to the sun?
Traidl-Hoffmann: No, if I am a healthy, athletic person who eats healthily, I can also make my body more adaptable. Then I can adapt to heat more quickly. Endurance sports are essential for this. And I really have to stick to not smoking, not drinking alcohol if possible, and eating as healthily as possible, i.e. as plant-based as possible.
Doctor: Diet influences how well you tolerate heat
Utopia: When it comes to adaptability to heat, does it make a difference whether I eat vegan, vegetarian or omnivorous?
Traidl-Hoffmann: Yes, indirectly. A plant-based diet with minimally processed products is really healthy for our bodies. And when our bodies are healthy, it in turn strengthens our own climate resilience and our body’s general adaptability.
Utopia: When you say that young and healthy people can adapt, that means, conversely, that it is more difficult for old and sick people.
Traidl-Hoffmann: Yes, the elderly and the sick have problems here, but people with neurodermatitis and small children are also extremely sensitive to heat. They are part of the so-called vulnerable groups. This also includes people with chronic inflammatory diseases such as lung diseases or asthma. They react very sensitively to heat and often feel a worsening of their chronic diseases, even leading to death from a heart attack, stroke or lung failure. These are people who would not have died without heat.
Utopia: Have these deaths increased in recent years?
Traidl-Hoffmann: Persistent heat waves with temperatures over 30 degrees drive people to hospital. And these are increasing. We are not only seeing more hot days, but also more long-lasting heat. We can see clearly that the longer these heat waves last, the more people are being hospitalized. They suffer from fluid loss, kidney failure, lung failure or multiple organ failure. We see these illnesses in our emergency room especially when it is really hot for a long time. Hospital data and the data of general practitioners from all over Bavaria, which we are currently evaluating, confirm these observations.
Prof. Traidl-Hoffmann: “The longer these heat waves last, the more people will end up in hospital”
Utopia: In addition to the vulnerable groups, people who work outside are particularly at risk in hot weather. How can farmers, gardeners, etc. protect themselves and at what temperatures should these people stop working?
Traidl-Hoffmann: For indoor temperatures, occupational health and safety regulations state that employers must intervene when temperatures reach 30 degrees. However, there are still no officially defined guidelines for outdoor temperatures at which people are allowed to stop work. Political regulations are needed here to ensure that the two million people who work outside in Germany are also protected.
A traffic light system like the one in France is conceivable, where, for example, sports events are cancelled when the temperature reaches 35 degrees. Of course, you then have to decide whether a red light means a ban on work or whether you need flexible working hours where people can start work early in the morning.
Utopia: What should people who stay indoors keep in mind when it’s hot?
Traidl-Hoffmann: The important thing is to prepare for the hot days. I have to observe how the temperature develops over the next few days. An old, sick person is best prepared by not having to go shopping on a hot day, by having enough water at home and by consistently drinking a glass of water every hour.
The rooms should be darkened during the day. Airing is best done at night, and during the day the windows remain closed so that the heat from outside doesn’t get inside. Fans can help, as can a cool foot bath or a damp cloth on the back of your neck. But the fact is: the hotter it is in the office, the worse I can think. 23 degrees is the optimal outside temperature for our brain. Anything above that means we are less productive.
Utopia: One thing is clear: no one should stay in the blazing sun for long periods of time when it’s 30 degrees. What other mistakes do people make in hot weather?
Traidl-Hoffmann: What is fundamentally done wrong is that heat is not perceived as a health risk. People think: “That’s fine.” In the trades, for example, men work on construction sites with their upper bodies bare in hot weather. But these are the very people who suffer from sunstroke. You should never expose yourself to the heat carelessly, for example by walking around without a hat or not drinking anything. And at the slightest sign, try to get out of the heat immediately and cool down.
Fatal mistake: underestimating heat
Utopia: What warning signs should you look out for?
Traidl-Hoffmann: This can be a lack of concentration, for example when you notice that your eyes hurt or your head hurts. Then there are dizzy spells. If your skin can no longer sweat and is completely dry, you are on the verge of heat stroke. We can also look out for a red head in our fellow human beings.
Utopia: What emergency measures help in such cases?
Traidl-Hoffmann: Get out of the sun, into the shade and drink something. Cooling compresses also help. If in doubt, go to the hospital.
Utopia: In addition to physical symptoms, heat can also cause psychological exhaustion. What dangers lurk in this area?
Traidl-Hoffmann: Mood swings and a higher level of aggression. We know that suicides are more common during hot weather, but also more violent crimes. We have to be aware of that.
Note: If you are feeling depressed or have suicidal thoughts, contact the telephone counseling service online or on 0800 / 111 0 111 or 0800 / 111 0 222 or 116123 or the German Depression Helpline on 0800 / 33 44 533 (weekdays during the day). In emergencies, please contact the nearest psychiatric clinic or the emergency doctor on 112.
Read more on Techzle\.com:
- Too warm to sleep? 11 common mistakes that make you sleep worse in hot weather
- Cooling your apartment without air conditioning – tips and tricks
- Sunscreen at Stiftung Warentest & Öko-Test: All test winners 2022 to 2024
** marked with ** or orange underlined Links to sources are partly affiliate links: If you buy here, you are actively supporting Techzle\.com, because we then receive a small part of the sales proceeds. .