Heat anxiety: ‘This year has been the worst’

“When it’s hot the air feels different in your lungs. Your brain just starts going, ‘Something’s different – and therefore bad’ even though it’s not.”

The hot weather and high temperatures can trigger anxiety and other mental health problems, according to new research from Oxford University.

Lauren Murphy, from Southampton, has anxiety and agoraphobia, a disorder defined by an intense fear of feeling trapped.

The heat can trigger this feeling of panic, making her feel “really isolated” and like she cannot breathe.

“You end up overthinking every single sensation, even if it’s a regular everyday occurrence,” she says.

The 34-year-old has had anxiety for about a decade, but noticed it became worse after she became a parent and was diagnosed with ADHD.

“When you’re an anxious person, especially with health anxiety, you’re so much more in tune with your body,” she says.

Then her anxiety also got worse as the heat got stronger, which she first noticed when she went on holiday abroad a few years ago, and the high temperatures made her feel like she could not breathe.

When similar conditions arrived in the UK, she says those fears returned.

“It really brought it all back. This year has probably been the worst.” she said.

A fourth heatwave of the year is affecting parts of the UK, with a drought declared across large parts of England and the whole of Wales.