How heat impacts your brain [Video]

WASHINGTON — Feeling a little hot around the collar? When it’s hot outside, it turns out it’s not all in our heads. There’s a large body of research showing just how much heat can impact our brain. The National Institutes of Health has numerous studies showing that heat stress can make us feel irritated, impact our thinking, even our sleep. 

Let’s talk about a few ways this can happen. One reason is because heat can cause a neurotransmitter imbalance in the brain. 

We all have neurotransmitters and according to the Cleveland Clinic we can’t live without them. These chemical messengers send signals to target cells and help control everything from emotions, moving our arms and legs, to keeping our hearts beating. 

When our brains are exposed to too much heat, a Baylor College of Medicine expert noted that the balance of neurotransmitters can be thrown off. As a result, you may feel a tad grouchy or not as cheerful. 

We all have …