Thermal comfort or discomfort are not terms I have consciously thought of in regards to my health; however most of us constantly adjust thermostats and other gadgets in an effort to regulate comfortable temperatures. Sometimes securing cozy room temperatures isn’t as easy as it may seem especially if you have a spouse, friend, or co-worker who blows you away with frigid air. Setting temperature preferences aside, can thermal discomfort have an impact on your health? Many cultures have well established practices including the Native American sweat lodge, Finnish sauna, Russian bania, Jewish shuitz, and the Turkish hamman who have built deep traditions around thermal discomfort assemblies in an effort to heal, sooth, and renew the whole person.
Scientific research into many of these traditions has established medicinal effects on health including body detoxification, improved circulation, and improved immune system functioning to name a few. Social connectedness and spiritual renewal are additional benefits, which can impact ones sense of wellness. Further John L. Stoops of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory wrote an article entitled A Possible Connection between Thermal Comfort and Health reports the following. “The increased thermal stress does induce an increase in the pulse rate as the body moves fluid about in an effort to maintain thermal equilibrium. This illustrates the close connection between the thermoregulatory and cardiovascular systems. One can induce heart muscle exercise by overheating the body. If the devotee takes regular saunas, it is possible that cardiovascular health benefits are received.”
The thermal environment is not only important to understand regarding health benefits, but also significant to many health concerns including hyper/hypothermia. For instance an article published in the British Medical Journal studied the thermal environment of infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) finding those infants significantly overdressed, which affirms other similar research linking hyperthermia to SIDS. (A.L. Ponsonby,, T. Dwyer, L.E. Gibbons, J.A. Cochrane, M.E. Jones, and M.J. McCall, Thermal environment and sudden infant death syndrome: case-control study. British Medical Journal, 1992, 277-282.). The thermal environment can also affect our performance, disposition, physiology, and mortality rates, which is the reason for much building and environmental temperature research especially in relation to the workplace. As the corporate mantra repeats, “time is money”, companies want employees to work at peak levels and know temperatures do affect work performance. Ultimately, comfort is relative and often based on individual, cultural, and local expectations. As a society we build our environment based on many elements including comfort, convenience, and tradition. So the next time you set your thermostat or are out in extreme heat or cold please know these temperatures can affect your health. Check out the links below to learn more on this subject.
Thermal Stress – Montana Department of Labor
World Health Organization-Thermal Protection for Newborns
I totally agree with the comfort levels in a work envirorment. When stress is high it's good to have the temp just a couple degrees cooler. When it's slow it's good to have it up a couple degrees. I work in a high stress work place and I know first hand how stress and tempature work.
Posted by: Chelsea | Nov 19, 2008 at 06:03 PM
I didn't know that hyperthyrmia was a cause of SIDS. That makes sense though. The body temp goes up and there is no way to cool down. So I guess it takes moderation using saunas and steam showers. I'll make sure I take measures to prevent overheating.
Posted by: Paula | Nov 19, 2008 at 07:47 PM