#HumanBodyTemperature #98DegreesF #UncomfortableTemperature
Have you ever wondered why 98 degrees Fahrenheit can feel so uncomfortable, even though it is the average human body temperature? 🌡️ In this article, we will explore the reasons behind this phenomenon and delve into the science behind why this seemingly ideal temperature can actually be quite unpleasant.
**What is Human Body Temperature?**
– Human body temperature typically ranges between 96 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit
– The average body temperature is considered to be around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit
– Body temperature can fluctuate throughout the day due to various factors such as physical activity, stress, and illness
**Why is 98 Degrees F Uncomfortable?**
1. **Thermoregulation:**
– The human body is constantly working to maintain a stable internal temperature through a process called thermoregulation
– When the external temperature is close to or higher than 98 degrees Fahrenheit, the body may struggle to dissipate heat effectively
2. **Perception of Temperature:**
– Our perception of temperature is influenced by factors such as humidity, wind speed, and clothing
– Even though 98 degrees Fahrenheit is close to our normal body temperature, other environmental factors can make it feel uncomfortable
3. **Heat Stress:**
– When the external temperature is close to or higher than body temperature, it can lead to heat stress
– Heat stress can result in symptoms like dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke
4. **Physical Activity:**
– Engaging in physical activity in high temperatures can increase body heat production
– When the external temperature is close to 98 degrees Fahrenheit, the body may struggle to cool down efficiently
**Is 98 Degrees F Ideal?**
– While 98 degrees Fahrenheit is considered to be the average body temperature, it may not be the ideal temperature for comfort
– Different individuals may have varying comfort levels, and factors like humidity and clothing can impact how the temperature is perceived
**Tips for Staying Comfortable in 98-Degree Weather:**
1. **Stay Hydrated:**
– Drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration and help regulate body temperature
2. **Seek Shade:**
– Stay out of direct sunlight and find shade to avoid overheating
3. **Wear Breathable Clothing:**
– Opt for lightweight, breathable fabrics to help your body regulate heat
4. **Use Fans or Air Conditioning:**
– Stay cool indoors by using fans or air conditioning to lower the temperature
5. **Take Cool Showers:**
– Cool off by taking a quick shower or splashing cold water on your face and body
In conclusion, while 98 degrees Fahrenheit may be the average human body temperature, it can still feel uncomfortable when the external temperature is close to or higher than this mark. Understanding the science behind thermoregulation and heat perception can help us better navigate different temperature conditions and stay comfortable in varying weather situations. Stay cool and hydrated, and take steps to regulate your body temperature when faced with uncomfortable temperatures.
That is comfy though – AZ native lol
The hotter the better. Heat doesn’t bother me at all. I prefer the summer days when it’s 35⁰C. Gives me a day to not have to wear my parka.
A calorie is a measure of heat. “Food calories” are actually kilocalories, so enough energy to raise the temperature of 2.2 lbs 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit. You probably eat about 2000 calories a day and they are almost all turned to heat. So if you weigh 220 lbs your body will raise its temperature by 36 degrees F per day, about 1.5 per hour.
Normally this isn’t a problem as your environment will be cooler and your body will just radiate the heat. If it is too hot your body can use a neat physics trick to cool down via evaporating water. But you will feel hot and obviously be sweating.
We need to release heat into our surrounding environment in order to properly regulate our bodily functions. An outside temperature exactly the same as internal temperature doesn’t let us cool down.
We are warm blooded. Warm blooded animals generate heat which needs to be removed. At 98 we are unable to cool ourselves through convection and need to use evaporative cooling (sweating). At lower comfortable temperatures we can regulate not through sweating.
If you were naked and not moving at all (to make yourself warmer) it would be comfortable.
Your body is still generating heat and can only get so much heat out if the ambient air is too warm. At roughly body temp, it’s not getting much heat out. If it’s higher than body temp, more heat is actually going in.
The surface of your skin that feels the temperature of the air around you is much lower than 98°
Because we exude heat. When the air gets close to our body temperature, it becomes harder to maintain our temperature because the excess heat stays with us. It’s much worse at higher humidity because sweating becomes less efficient.
The human body is constantly generating heat. If the air is already at body temperature, it becomes harder to shed that heat.
Our bodies are little heat engines. All the work and chemistry being done inside our bodies generates heat, which is good, because the chemistry in our bodies likes working at 98 F. However, we also generate a lot of excess heat, which we dissipate through our skin into the air, which is colder than us, and therefore can absorb that heat. However, if the outside is the same temp as our insides, the heat isn’t going to go anywhere, so we get hot and stay hot, and therefore get uncomfortable.
Because what makes it uncomfortable is your inability to shed excess heat, and that it really difficult when the air is about the same temperature as you are.
Thermal energy moves from hot to cold. So how do you expect to get rid of excess thermal energy if the air around you is as hot as you?
Because being human is a constant irritation
Your skin temperature is around 72F. Your internal temperature is around 97F. Big difference. You will sweat when you are exposed to temperatures between 72F and ~97F. But if you need to be very careful exercising in temperatures above 97F since your body can’t cool itself off by sweating since the external temperature is higher than your internal temperature.
Because the 98F temperature is making your body heat up above 98F
The human body is constantly generating heat, but it needs to stay at 98 to stay alive. So it needs to constantly get rid of heat *at the same rate it’s generating heat*.
If you’re trying to get rid of heat, it’s a lot harder to do so if you’re surrounded by warmth. It’s a lot easier if you’re surrounded by cool.
The numbers work out that if you’re surrounded by 98 degree air, your body can’t get rid of heat as fast as it generates new heat, even if it’s sweating constantly. So your temperature slowly rises.
If your temperature rises too much, you die, so your body makes you uncomfortable as a warning that you need to find a way to cool off.
I actually fell for this misconception myself, but it all boils down to the process of homeostasis, which is just the scientific term for the body’s ability to stabilize itself and maintain balance (or equilibrium). Because we as mammals are warm-blooded, our bodies generate their own heat, and as such, our bodies maintain balance by emitting heat so we don’t cook from the inside (for lack of a better way of putting that). Because of this, we actually need to be surrounded by temperatures that are cooler than our internal temperature, since heat travels from warmer areas to cooler areas, allowing us to “cool down” if we get too hot. So if the air around us is the same temperature as (or higher than) our own body temperature, it’s not possible for us to maintain balance and will result in us getting hotter, which is dangerous on a number of levels.
Conversely, if the surrounding temperature is too cold, it results in our bodies expelling heat at a much faster rate, creating a situation in which we could expel heat faster than our bodies can generate it (resulting in hypothermia), and this is also dangerous on a number of levels.
TLDR: 98 degrees is uncomfortable because our bodies need to be surrounded by moderately lower temperatures to maintain balance.
I mean if you ever stuck your finger inside your body (don’t think to deep about it lol), it feels like you’re touching fire. We are so much hotter inside and its not comfy for our skin on he outside. Even when its winter, I still use a fan and sleep with my feet and hands outside of my bed covers to release heat or I get overheated. Then again I am a big guy…well fat.
Nope. You know all those calories you eat in a day? You dump ’em out as heat. So you need a temperature gradient to do so. You need to dump all that heat from your body to the outside world. If you can’t dump ’em, they build up and cook you internally.
Fortunately, we can dump heat even when the external temperature is higher than our body temperature, through evaporative cooling, which is to say, sweating. In Finland, people are known to run their saunas hotter than the boiling temperature of water. Most humans can’t deal with that, but, y’know, Finland. The evaporating sweat pulls heat out of you.
However, if it is humid enough, that gets less effective.