Why is my body in so much heat? Understanding common causes and when to seek help

October 1, 2025 •

3 min read

An average adult's core body temperature is about 98.6°F (37°C), but for many, a persistent feeling of being overheated can be a sign of an underlying issue. If you're wondering, why is my body in so much heat?, it could be due to hormonal changes, chronic stress, or other health concerns that disrupt your body's natural cooling mechanisms.

Quick Summary

Excessive body heat can be caused by hormonal shifts, such as those during menopause or hyperthyroidism, as well as chronic stress, certain medical conditions like diabetes, and lifestyle factors. Understanding these triggers is key to managing your temperature.

Key Points

Hormonal Changes: Menopause, perimenopause, and hyperthyroidism are common hormonal causes of excessive body heat.
Chronic Stress: Anxiety and psychological stress can trigger a fight-or-flight response, releasing adrenaline that raises body temperature.
Medical Conditions: Underlying health issues like diabetes, fibromyalgia, and anhidrosis can impair your body's ability to cool itself effectively.
Dehydration is a Culprit: Insufficient fluid intake prevents the body from sweating efficiently, which is a crucial part of thermoregulation.
Medication Side Effects: Several common prescription and over-the-counter medications can list increased body heat or sweating as a side effect.
Seek Medical Help for Severe Symptoms: Confusion, fainting, seizures, or a body temperature above 104°F require immediate medical attention.

Understanding Your Body's Thermostat

Your body maintains a stable internal temperature through a process called thermoregulation, primarily controlled by the hypothalamus in your brain. When your internal temperature rises, the hypothalamus signals for cooling actions, such as increasing blood flow to the skin and triggering sweat production. Conversely, it causes shivering to generate heat when you get cold. Disruptions to this delicate system can make you feel excessively hot, even when your surroundings are cool.

Hormonal Fluctuations and Heat

Hormonal changes are a common reason for a feeling of increased body heat, particularly in women.

Menopause and Perimenopause

For women approaching or going through menopause, declining estrogen levels can disrupt the hypothalamus, leading to the sudden, intense sensations of warmth known as hot flashes. These can also cause night sweats, interrupting sleep.

Hyperthyroidism

An overactive thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) produces an excess of thyroid hormones, which puts your metabolism into overdrive. This heightened metabolic activity generates more heat, causing heat intolerance and excessive sweating.

Pregnancy

Increased blood volume and elevated hormone levels during pregnancy can raise a woman's core body temperature, making her feel warmer than usual.

Medical Conditions that Turn Up the Heat

Several health issues can impact your body's ability to regulate its temperature properly.

Diabetes: Over time, poorly managed diabetes can cause nerve and blood vessel damage. This can affect the sweat glands, hindering the body's natural cooling process and leading to overheating.
Anxiety and Stress: The body's 'fight-or-flight' response, triggered by emotional stress or anxiety, releases hormones like adrenaline. This can increase heart rate and metabolic activity, creating a rush of heat. Chronic stress can even lead to a persistent, low-grade temperature increase known as psychogenic fever.
Fibromyalgia and Multiple Sclerosis (MS): These chronic conditions can affect the autonomic nervous system, which helps regulate temperature. As a result, individuals may experience increased sensitivity to heat. For people with MS, even a slight temperature increase can worsen symptoms.
Infections: A fever is the body's immune response to fight off invading viruses or bacteria. It's a controlled elevation of temperature, which is why infections like the flu can make you feel hot and sweaty.
Anhidrosis: This condition is defined by the inability to sweat normally, which prevents the body from cooling itself effectively and can lead to overheating.

Lifestyle and Environmental Triggers

Your daily habits and surroundings play a significant role in your body's temperature regulation.

Dehydration: Lack of sufficient fluid intake hampers the body's ability to produce sweat, which is crucial for cooling down.
Dietary Choices: Spicy foods, which contain capsaicin, can trick your body into thinking it's overheating, triggering sweating. Similarly, stimulants like caffeine and alcohol can raise heart rate and metabolism.
Intense Exercise: Strenuous physical activity significantly increases your metabolic rate, generating a large amount of heat that your body must dissipate.
Obesity: Individuals who are overweight or obese retain more body heat, making it harder to stay cool, especially in warm environments.
Certain Medications: Many common medications, including some antidepressants, blood pressure drugs, and antibiotics, list increased body temperature or sweating as a side effect.

Comparison of Causes and Symptoms


Cause	Key Symptoms	Timing & Duration	Key Distinction
Menopause	Sudden hot flashes, night sweats, flushing, rapid heartbeat.	Brief, episodic, can last years.	Directly linked to declining estrogen and perimenopause/menopause.
Hyperthyroidism	Heat intolerance, increased sweating, rapid heart rate, fatigue, weight loss.	Persistent, long-term if untreated.	Accompanied by other symptoms of overactive metabolism.
Anxiety/Stress	Flushed skin, sweating, rapid heart rate, feeling warm, shaking.	Episodes linked to stressful events, can become chronic.	Often psychological triggers; temperature can be low-grade.
Dehydration	Thirst, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, flushed or pale skin.	Acute, often linked to exercise or hot weather.	Improved by rehydration and cooling down.
Heat Exhaustion	Heavy sweating, dizziness, nausea, rapid weak pulse, cool, moist skin.	Develops during heat exposure, needs prompt cooling.	Precursor to heatstroke; symptoms are more severe than just feeling hot.

Conclusion: When to Seek Medical Advice

While feeling hot can often be managed with simple lifestyle changes like staying hydrated and avoiding triggers, persistent or severe overheating can signal a more serious underlying issue. If you experience chronic heat intolerance, especially alongside other concerning symptoms like unexplained weight loss, fatigue, or neurological changes, it's wise to consult a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis. For signs of severe heat illness, such as confusion, seizures, or a very high body temperature (104°F or higher), seek immediate medical attention.

For more information on heat-related illnesses and risk factors, consult the CDC's Heat Health resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, psychological stress and anxiety can activate the body's 'fight-or-flight' response, releasing adrenaline and increasing metabolic rate. This can lead to a feeling of being overheated and cause sweating and flushed skin.

A hot flash is a sudden sensation of warmth, often with sweating and flushed skin, caused by fluctuating hormone levels. While most common in perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes from other conditions, medical treatments, or medications can also cause them.

Yes, many types of medications can affect your body's ability to regulate heat. These include certain antidepressants, anticholinergic drugs, and even some over-the-counter pain relievers. If you've started a new medication, discuss side effects with your doctor.

You should see a doctor if your symptoms are persistent, getting worse, or are accompanied by severe signs like a very high fever (over 104°F), confusion, or loss of consciousness. Also, seek help if home cooling remedies don't work within an hour.

Poorly managed diabetes can cause nerve and blood vessel damage over time, which may impair the function of your sweat glands. This makes it harder for your body to cool itself efficiently, leading to heat intolerance.

Yes. Consuming spicy foods, caffeine, or alcohol can increase heart rate and body heat. Additionally, dehydration significantly reduces your body's ability to sweat and cool down effectively, trapping heat.

Yes, people who are overweight or have obesity tend to retain more body heat. This is because a higher body mass-to-surface area ratio and increased metabolic heat production can make it more difficult for the body to cool itself.