As India deals with an early heatwave and some places have recorded extreme temperatures, keeping your body cool is extremely important for survival. During summers, our body tends to sweat more, we may get easily dehydrated and our bodies are unable to cool down on their own. Body heat may also rise due to other internal and external factors. Some of the most common causes are fever; an inflammatory illness; infection; hyperthyroidism; wearing tight-fitting clothes; eating spicy, oily, or fried food, consuming drinks with caffeine or alcohol, intense workouts; or taking drugs that cause high body temperatures such as certain antibiotics, opioids, and antihistamines.
8 Ways to Reduce Body Heat
Experts suggest that the normal body temperature should be around 98.6°F, which may vary a little depending on the time of day, amount of physical activity performed, etc. However, a body temperature above 100°F indicates fever. Other symptoms of high body temperature you must look out for are hot, red, dry, or damp skin, fast pulse, acute headache, dizziness, nausea, and even losing consciousness. You must act quickly when you notice any of these signs in your or someone’s body. Here are the essential ways to reduce body heat:
1. Cold Foot Bath
Our feet can help us keep a stable body temperature as they have a large surface area and specialised blood vessels to regulate blood circulation and offload heat quickly when required. If you need a quick fix on how to reduce body heat immediately, taking a cold foot bath is the best idea. Place your feet in a bucket of cold water, you may also add a few ice cubes and watch your body temperature go down instantly. You must immerse your feet and soak for up to 20 minutes. Cold showers are also equally recommended to combat body heat.
2. Try Having Cooling Drinks
Coconut water contains vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes which are effective for energising your body after prolonged heat exposure. You may also try having watermelon, which has high water content and buttermilk is a great body cooling drink. It is loaded with probiotics, vitamins, and minerals that will help restore the body’s natural energy.
3. Peppermint Tea
Peppermint has a high menthol content due to which it has a cooling effect and can quickly control body heat. You can drink a cup of hot or iced peppermint tea to cool down your body.
4. Sitali Breath
This yoga is known to have a cooling effect on your body and your mind. It is a breathing technique that helps you to relax. Start by sitting in a comfortable position, stick your tongue out and roll the outer edges together or you can pucker your lips and slowly inhale through your mouth, then exhale through your nose. Continue breathing like this for up to 5 minutes.
5. Dress Appropriately
When you are going outdoors during summer, you must wear a hat and sunglasses and even carry an umbrella. Wear loose-fitted, light-coloured clothing, preferably in cotton and linen fabrics.
6. Aloe Vera
Among all the other benefits of aloe vera, one is that its leaves and gel can help to lower body temperature. You can apply aloe vera gel to your skin for a cooling effect. You can also choose to consume aloe vera. Use 2 tablespoons of fresh aloe vera gel per cup of water to make a drink.
7. Fenugreek
Sipping a cup of fenugreek tea will cause you to sweat and allow your body to cool down quickly. You may refrigerate the tea and consume it when it’s cold. Fenugreek is an extremely useful ingredient; it has a strong aroma and boosts immunity. It plays a key role in getting rid of some excess fluid from your body and may have a detoxifying effect.
8. Chilli
Chilli can help bring down the body heat. Even though it is believed that eating spicy food will make you feel warm, it can help lower your body temperature to a great extent. Chillies contain capsaicin which sends messages to the brain to signal that your body is overheated and causes you to sweat more than normal, which in turn, brings on a cooling effect.
Conclusion
These are some of the ways to reduce internal body heat. Body heat can affect your overall performance and cause increased irritability, loss of concentration, and sleeplessness. You must drink enough water throughout the day and have foods that keep your body naturally cool such as cucumber, curd, vegetables, fruits, etc. If your body temperature seems to be high for an undetermined reason and does not cool down even after trying these remedies, you must see your doctor especially if you have an underlying medical condition. Excessive heat is harmful to the body; you may be at the risk of getting a heat stroke if left untreated.
