ROANOKE, Va. – While temperatures rise, so can your stress levels and chances of getting irritable.
“You know, you get hungry; you get a little angry. The heat is definitely going to be very similar to you,” Robert Johnson, a family nurse practitioner with LewisGale Physicians Internal Medicine, said.
A heatwave is hitting Southwest and Central Virginia.
With temperatures in the high 90s, it can cause people to experience more mood swings.
“If a friend or a roommate is like, ‘Hey, you’re not yourself right now, go grab a drink and cool off,’ take that advice and find workarounds but not to be inactive,” Johnson said.
Doctors said there is a direct correlation between the heat and changes in how you feel.
“It speeds up metabolic processes; it’s irritating. It almost works in the body like a stimulant. You get hot. You start sweating. Your body’s working overtime to cool you down, and it’s working harder and faster than it normally has to,” Johnson said.
The heat can also mess up our sleep, which can make us more irritable.
“As the hot days go on, people who don’t have air conditioning aren’t sleeping as good, and when you aren’t getting restorative sleep, you aren’t able to respond to stress, i.e. the heat, and it’s just a perpetual cycle,” he said.
The best way to prevent these emotions is by drinking plenty of water. Staying hydrated will be your best friend through the hot days
“Hydration is like number one across all boards, keeping yourself hydrated, making sure you are. We don’t talk about this enough, a balanced diet, making sure you’re eating colorful plates,” he said.
As the summer sun continues to not let up, remember to drink water, take breaks and find times to cool off.