What effect does a heatwave have on your body?

The last seven days have seen temperatures soar at record rates.

While the soaring temperatures have seen beaches, parks, and beer gardens packed to the rafters, and supermarkets sell entire stocks of sun tan lotion, as Brits make the most of the rare sunshine, there are real concerns about how high temperatures can impact your health, especially after so many successive days reaching over 30 degrees celsius.

As revealed by the BBC, the first thing that experts recommend is for the most vulnerable people — older people, babies, and young children— to take precautions, like staying indoors, and as far away from heat as possible.

What does the science say?

As your body heats up, what are known as blood vessels open up.

The opening of vessels then lowers your blood pressure, making your heart work more to keep moving blood around the body.

Oftentimes, this process can cause "mild symptoms" such as an itchy heat rash or swollen feet, according to a BBC report.

The other thing to look out for is how sweating can lead to the loss of fluids and salt.

When the balance between salt and fluids is disrupted, it can cause changes in the body.

The result of these two processes can lead to what is called "heat exhaustion," and the BBC have also unveiled a list of symptoms to look out for.

They are:

• dizziness
• nausea
• fainting
• confusion
• muscle cramps
• headaches
• heavy sweating
• tiredness

Another point to add on the issue of blood pressure, is that as it drops the risk of a heart attack does increase.

What can you do to help prevent health problems?

Government advice is available through the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), who have issued some recommendations on how best to mitigate the impacts of increased heat.

The first thing that is advocated for is to look out for older and more vulnerable people.

Secondly, they suggest staying cooler indoors by "closing curtains" on rooms that face the sun.

Drinking plenty of fluids is another good starting point.

It is also recommended to avoid consuming too much alcohol.

Other advice relates to staying in the shade, using sunscreen with a high SPF and UVA rating, and wearing a wide-brimmed hat.