According to your description, it seems
that your father can’t stand the hot
weather, which is pretty normal. Most
people can’t tolerate hot weather for
long periods of time. Hot weather
increases body temperature. The
thermo-regulatory mechanisms of the body
atempt to keep the body’s temperature
within the normal range of 36-37 oC, the
most important mechanism for body cooling
being sweating. When you sweat, water is
excreted by the sweat glands in the skin
and then evaporates. It is this water
evaporation that, in fact, cools the body.
Without evaporation sweating wouldn't be
efficient. For example, sweating to cool
the body is useless when the body is
placed in a warm, closed space without
ventilation and great moisture in the air.
In addition to evaporation, intake of
water and electrolytes (salts) is also a
very important when you sweat because the
body’s water and salts are expelled
through the pores. If water and salts are
not supplemented, the body will dehydrate
and body temperature will again increase,
also known as hyperthermia. Dehydration
combined with hyperthermia is called "heat
stroke" and could be a life threatening
condition if not diagnosed and treated on
time.
Your father may report that he was hot and
exhausted but was his body’s temperature
really increased? Did he perform specific
biochemical reports to identify increased
hematocrit, decreased sodium etc... or did
he only feel hot? It is one thing is to
feel a sensation and another thing is to
confirm those symptoms with a relevant
physical and biochemical examination. The
rest of your father's symptoms (“hard to
breathe, his lips and arms go numb”) are
not typical symptoms present during
hyperthermia and dehydration.
Furthermore, depression can manifest with
exhaustion and uncomfortable feelings.
Your father should request several
physical and biochemical examinations such
as measuring body temperature, blood
pressure, electrolyte status, blood count,
sedimentation, haemoglobin, hematocrit,
blood glucose, hormonal status especially
thyroid, etc.
You can consult an internal medicine
specialist about his condition and request
these diagnostics.
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