Be Alert, Hot Weather Can Make The Immunity System Decrease

Hot weather illustration (image: Pexels/Kenneth Surillo)

JAKARTA - The last few days the weather has been hotter than usual in various regions in Indonesia. This hot weather must be watched out for because its short-term exposure can reduce the immune system.

This was revealed through research conducted by an expert from the Christina Lee Brown Environment Institute, University of Louisville, United States. The study shows that exposure to heat is related to inflammation that can disrupt the immune system.

"In this study, we use an alternative heat measure attributed to various inflammatory markers and immune responses in the body to investigate the short-term effects of exposure to heat, resulting in a more complete picture of its impact on health," said study lead author Daniel What, PhD, quoted from the American Heart Association, Thursday, October 16, 2025.

In the study, participants were asked to visit a research site in Louisville for months in the summer to undergo a blood test. Researchers then analyzed the blood to see various markers of the immune function.

Data from the participants is associated with various heat markers such as air humidity, wind speed, to Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), a physiological model that assesses a person's physical comfort level.

tipanya mengatakan bahwa partisipasi penelitian yang meski mengalami paparan suhu tinggi dalam waktu singkat tetap dapat menyebabkan perubahan pengganda sistem immune atau imun.

"Our research participants only experienced exposure to high temperatures in a short time on the day of their blood collection. However, even a short exposure seems to be able to cause changes to the immune markers," said Maria.

Not only that, but temperature and humidity are also important factors that influence the spread of infectious diseases through the air. With that, on the hottest days of summer can make the body more susceptible to disease or inflammation.

"The temperature and humidity are important environmental factors that affect the spread of infectious diseases by air. That is, on the hottest days of summer, people not only risk heat exposure, but can also be more susceptible to disease or inflammation," he continued.

Thus, researchers suggest as much as possible to reduce exposure to excessive heat outdoors to maintain the immune system. Some ways that can be done are by wearing light clothes and circulating bai, looking for shelter, and consuming enough water.