Thermoregulation is how humans maintain a temperature range suitable for life.
Some are sensitive to cold, and others to heat.
These thermoreceptors send information to the hypothalamus.
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It also integrates the sensory information coming in from your thermoreceptors.
If the incoming signals are too high or too low, the hypothalamus sends signals to fix this.
It does this primarily through theautonomic nervous system, the system of nerves that control involuntary bodily functions.
Whats an Average Internal Body Temperature?
Theaverage core body temperatureis around 98.6 degrees.
Between 97.7 and 99.5 degrees is The typical baseline temperature for some people is between 97.7 and 99.5 degrees.
Your core body temperature is the temperature inside your head, chest, and abdomen.
Notably, this temperature might vary significantly from the other parts of your body.
For example, the temperature of your hands might be several degrees cooler.
It is different than afever, which occurs in response to an internal problem, like an infection.
In some cases, hyperthermia isn’t a big deal.
For example, some healthy athletes can experience mild hyperthermia without health problems during intense exercise.
However, higher temperatures can cause problems like muscle cramps and fainting.
They can also increase the risk of dehydration and problems likeelectrolyte imbalancesandkidney damage.
Hypothermiais sometimes defined as a core temperature lower than 95 degrees.
The heart stops at around 75 degrees, and death occurs.
What Can Cause Thermoregulation Issues?
Infection
Serious infections can lead tofever.
Various substances in pathogens and immune components the body produces to respond to them can trigger fever.
Some of these substances affect the way the hypothalamus and related structures operate, elevating the temperature set point.
Such fevers sometimes have a protective effect.
Individuals hospitalized for serious infections with mild to moderate fevers may tend to do better than those without fever.
In small children, high fevers can causefebrile seizures.
These are alarming but hardly ever cause long-term problems.
Children are also more likely to have high fevers than adults.
Older adults might not spike a fever even during some serious infections.
The menstrual cycle can also affect baseline temperature.
For example, your temperature tends to be higher in the time following ovulation.
Pregnancy can make it more challenging to thermoregulate.
And during menopause, you might experience brief periods when your internal temperature spikes (hot flashes).
Some of the most disadvantaged people are also more likely to experience problems from hypothermia or hyperthermia.
If the environment is too hot, thermoregulation helps cool you down, and vice versa.
Minor changes from your baseline temperature arent usually a big deal.
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