In recent days a number of foreign publications, mainly British, have been dealing with the cases of tourists who have died or disappeared in Greece in the past few days, with experts warning that the high temperatures prevailing in the country may not be behind these cases.
CNN also highlights the issue, attempting to highlight the causes of these unusual disappearances and deaths of travellers this summer.
In total, four travellers have lost their lives in Symi, Samos, Crete and Corfu, while an American tourist in Amorgos and two French women in Sikinos continue to be missing. All four had set off on a hiking trip. This was also reported by police spokesman in the South Aegean, Petros Vassilakis, speaking to Reuters. “There is a common pattern, they all went hiking in the midst of high temperatures,” he said.
Some scientists say that what is happening in Greece is a warning sign of the effects of extreme heat on the body, and in particular on the brain, potentially confusing, affecting people’s decision-making abilities and even their perception of danger.
As climate change fuels longer and more severe heat waves, scientists are trying to work out how our brains cope with them.
The brain is “the main operator
Research has traditionally focused on the effects of extreme heat on the muscles, skin, lungs and heart, but as Damian Bailey, Professor of Physiology and Biochemistry at the University of South Wales, said “the brain, it’s the key to everything, it’s the master switch for the body”.
The brain is where the body’s temperature is regulated. The hypothalamus, a small diamond-shaped structure, acts as a thermostat, keeping the body’s internal temperature at or very close to 37 degrees Celsius.
When the temperature rises, the hypothalamus activates the sweat glands and dilates the blood vessels to bring the temperature back to normal.
But the brain works well within a limited range of temperatures and even small changes can affect it. Many people will be familiar with feeling sluggish and lazy on a hot summer day.
But as the heat increases, it can have serious effects, including a reduction in fluids in the body and a reduction in blood flow to the brain, Mr Bailey said.
“Extreme heat can disrupt typical brain function,” added Kim Meidenbauer, a neuroscientist at Washington State University. “The brain networks that normally allow people to think clearly, reason, remember, and construct and formulate ideas can go out of control,” he explained.
“It becomes more difficult to make complex decisions, such as which trail to take on a hike-a decision that sounds simple but requires weighing many different factors. There is also evidence to suggest that people are more likely to make risky decisions and have impulsive behaviour when exposed to heat,” he added.
So, according to him, an altered perception of risk combined with impaired cognitive function can have very serious consequences. “You’re not just talking about the possibility of getting a little hot and maybe getting a sunburn,” he said. “We’re talking about potentially life-threatening (conditions), such as poor decision-making, blurred judgment.”
“It will take time to unravel the exact causes of death of those who died in Greece, but there is a lesson to be learned from the tragedies. No matter how smart or how fit you think you are… if you go out in temperatures of 40 degrees Celsius and above, even if you are well prepared, you will face difficulties,” Mr Bailey concluded.
