{"id":1282,"date":"2026-08-03T14:09:17","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:09:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/08\/03\/hot-weather-can-make-pain-worse-heres-why\/"},"modified":"2026-08-03T14:09:17","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T14:09:17","slug":"hot-weather-can-make-pain-worse-heres-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/2026\/08\/03\/hot-weather-can-make-pain-worse-heres-why\/","title":{"rendered":"Hot weather can make pain worse \u2013 here\u2019s why"},"content":{"rendered":"
Hot weather can affect how we experience pain.<\/span> DexonDee\/ Shutterstock<\/a><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

This summer\u2019s amber heat warnings have brought with them many risks to health. <\/p>\n

Many people have experienced these health effects first-hand: brain fog, physical fatigue, restless nights and reduced productivity. If that sounds familiar, you\u2019re not imagining it. Science shows that high temperatures can affect both our bodies<\/a> and our brains<\/a> \u2013 even before they reach extreme levels<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But one consequence of hot weather that many people may not know about is that it can also affect physical pain.<\/p>\n

Our research<\/a> analysed data from a large, nationally representative survey from the global analytics firm Gallup, which recorded daily measures of pain from more than two million US residents. We found that as temperatures increased so did the likelihood of people reporting they were experiencing some type of generalised physical pain. <\/p>\n

The largest increases occurred on very hot days \u2013 around 32\u00b0C or above. Middle-aged adults and people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were most likely to report experiencing pain on very hot days.<\/p>\n

Why heat worsens pain<\/h2>\n

Scientists have identified several possible explanations for why you\u2019re more likely to experience worse pain on hot days.<\/p>\n

Some of these causes are direct triggers of pain \u2013 including dehydration<\/a> caused by the heat, inflammation<\/a> and other physiological processes, such as blood pressure changes<\/a> which can make existing pain worse.<\/p>\n

Other causes are indirect triggers. For instance, hot weather can increase stress<\/a>, disrupt sleep<\/a>, reduce wellbeing<\/a> and limit our ability to perform our usual daily activities, such as exercise<\/a>. All of these factors<\/a> are known to amplify<\/a> experiences of pain<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The relationship between pain and these potential triggers can go both ways as well. Sleep is a good example of this. <\/p>\n

Poor sleep makes people more sensitive to pain<\/a>, while pain itself makes it harder to sleep<\/a>. During heatwaves, many people struggle to get a good night\u2019s sleep<\/a>, creating a vicious cycle in which poor sleep increases pain and pain further disrupts sleep. Over time, this cycle can take a toll on people\u2019s wellbeing and quality of life<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The effects of pain extend beyond physical discomfort, as well. Pain competes for our brain\u2019s attention. When the body hurts, attention is diverted towards coping with that pain, leaving fewer resources available for concentration, memory and decision-making<\/a>. This can affect performance at work<\/a>, learning in school<\/a> and even everyday decision-making<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n \"An
\n Excess heat places stress on many different bodily systems.<\/span>
\n PorporLing\/Shutterstock<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In some situations heat can be beneficial for pain \u2013 for example, applying a heating pad to help relieve lower back pain after a long day on your feet. But there\u2019s an important difference between using targeted heat to treat a specific area of the body and being exposed to sustained high temperatures that affect the entire body. The latter places stress on multiple physiological systems<\/a> and can worsen, rather than relieve, physical pain.<\/p>\n

The consequences of heat\u2019s effects on pain are not only personal \u2013 they\u2019re also economic. <\/p>\n

In our study<\/a>, we estimate that hotter temperatures already cost the United States\u2019 economy around US$2 billion (\u00a31.5bn) every year through higher levels of pain. If temperatures continue to rise and no action is taken to help people adapt to extreme heat, these costs could exceed US$9 billion annually by 2050.<\/p>\n

The increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves<\/a> experienced in recent UK summers suggest that comparable losses<\/a> in healthcare costs, reduced productivity and diminished quality of life could become an important challenge if hot summers become the new normal.<\/p>\n

Bodily pain should therefore be recognised as another hidden health consequence of extreme heat.<\/p>\n

Heat affects us in more ways than we often realise. The good news is that there are practical steps<\/a> we can take to reduce these effects. Staying well hydrated, avoiding strenuous activity during the hottest hours of the day, seeking cool indoor spaces and planning outdoor activities for the morning or evening can all help reduce heat-related pain and discomfort.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hot weather can affect how we experience pain. DexonDee\/ Shutterstock This summer\u2019s amber heat warnings have brought with them many risks to health. Many people have experienced these health effects first-hand: brain fog, physical fatigue, restless nights and reduced productivity. If that sounds familiar, you\u2019re not imagining it. Science shows that high temperatures can affect […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1282","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1282"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1282\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1282"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1282"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/redzine.co.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1282"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}