As scorching heat continues day after day, interest is growing in effective ways to lower body temperature. Experts advise that focusing on cooling specific areas where blood vessels run close to the skin can be more helpful for temperature regulation than indiscriminately taking cold showers.
British outlet The Mirror recently introduced methods to quickly lower body temperature elevated by heat, citing the British Red Cross. The Red Cross recommended a cooling method that utilizes so-called "pulse points," such as the neck, wrists, and ankles. These areas have major blood vessels passing close to the skin's surface, which can help relatively quickly lower blood temperature when cold water or cold compresses are applied.
When exposed to hot environments, the human body dilates blood vessels near the skin to maintain a stable body temperature. By increasing blood flow, it transfers internal heat to the skin's surface and releases heat through sweat evaporation. Therefore, cooling areas where blood vessels are concentrated can help release heat from the entire body.
In particular, soaking the hands and feet in cool water or running cold water over the wrists has been introduced as effective. While outdoors, simply wrapping a wet towel or cooling towel around the neck or wrists can help lower the perceived temperature.
The sides of the neck, the nape, armpits, and groin are also cited as representative areas where large blood vessels pass through. The temples, forehead, inner elbows, and the back of the knees are also areas where cooling effects can be relatively easily obtained. Splashing cold water on the face can also help lower body temperature.
However, experts emphasize that excessively strong cold stimuli, such as ice water, should be avoided. A sudden cold stimulus can rapidly constrict blood vessels, which may actually impede the release of internal heat. Accordingly, taking a shower with cool water or using cold wet towels and cold compress packs is recommended over an ice-water shower. Spraying water on the skin and then using a fan to enhance the evaporative cooling effect is also helpful.
Experts explain that such cooling methods are merely temporary, supplementary means of lowering body temperature. They urged that if symptoms such as severe headache, dizziness, vomiting, decreased consciousness, or confusion appear, heat exhaustion or heat stroke should be suspected.
In particular, heat stroke, in which body temperature rises above 40 degrees Celsius and the skin becomes hot and dry, is an emergency condition. In such cases, 119 should be called immediately, the patient should be moved to a cool place, and areas where large blood vessels pass — such as the neck, armpits, and groin — should be intensively cooled.
