4 Dangerous Signs That Your Body Is Overheating—and 4 Ways You’re Making It Worse

What overheating is

If you’ve ever felt faint in a hot yoga class or looking for shade because those sunrays are making your brain bubble, you’re somewhat familiar with overheating. Another risk is not knowing the signs of dehydration. While you might not clinically suffering from heat exhaustion, those are warning signs. “Becoming overheated simply means your body cannot cool itself off or return to it’s normal optimal temperature, which is usually 98.6 degrees for most individuals,” explains doctor of nutrition Roger E. Adams, PhD. “An overheated state is usually caused by exposure to extreme heat over an extended period. When your body temperature rises, blood flow to the surface of your body increases. Additionally, sweat rate and respiratory rates increase, in order to cool your body off. All of this creates an extra workload on the heart, increasing your heart rate.”