The human body can remain viable in a rather small range of internal temperatures - from +25 to +43 degrees. The ability to maintain them within these limits even with significant changes in external conditions is called thermoregulation. The physiological norm is in this case in the range from 36.2 to 37 degrees, deviations from it are considered a violation. To find out the reasons for such pathologies, it is necessary to know how thermoregulation is carried out in the body, what factors affect the fluctuations of internal temperatures, and to determine the methods for their correction.
How is thermoregulation carried out in the human body?
The described mechanism proceeds in 2 directions:
- Chemical thermoregulation is the process of heat production. It is produced by all organs in the body, especially when blood passes through them. Most energy is produced in the liver and striated muscles.
- Physical thermoregulation is the process of heat release. It is carried out by direct heat exchange with respect to air or cold objects, infrared radiation, as well as the evaporation of sweat from the surface of the skin and respiration.
How is thermoregulation maintained in the human body?
Control of internal temperature occurs due to the sensitivity of special thermoreceptors. Their most part is located in the skin, upper respiratory tract and mucous membranes of the oral cavity.
When the external conditions deviate from the norm, the thermoreceptors produce nerve impulses that enter the spinal cord, then into the visual bumps, the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland and reach the cerebral cortex. As a result, a physical sensation of cold or heat appears, and the center of thermoregulation stimulates the processes of producing or releasing heat.
It is worth noting that in the described mechanism, in particular - the formation of energy, also involved some hormones. Thyroxin intensifies metabolism, which increases the production of heat. Adrenaline acts in a similar manner by enhancing oxidative processes. In addition, it helps to narrow the blood vessels in the skin, which prevents heat release.
The causes of the violation of body thermoregulation
Minor changes in the ratio of the production of thermal energy and its transfer to the external environment occur during physical exertion. In this case, this is not a pathology, as the processes of thermoregulation quickly recover at rest, during rest.
Most of the violations considered are systemic diseases, accompanied by inflammatory processes. However, in such situations, even a strong increase in body temperature is incorrectly called pathological, since fever and fever occur in the body to suppress the proliferation of pathogenic cells (viruses or bacteria). In fact, this mechanism is a normal protective reaction of immunity.
True violations of thermoregulation accompany the damage to organs responsible for its implementation, the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, spinal cord and brain. This occurs with mechanical
Treatment of violation of normal thermoregulation in the human body
It is possible to restore the correct course of the mechanisms of production and return of heat only after determining the causes of their changes. To make a diagnosis, you need to visit a neurologist, take a number of laboratory tests and perform assigned instrumental studies.