THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS OF HEAT ON PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND THERMAL SENSATIONS : COMPARISON OF HOT WATER BOTTLE AND ELECTRIC BLANKET

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the physiological responses and thermal sensations of subjects to a hot water bottle and an electric blanket, and compare them with controls. Nine healthy students (21.04±3.0 years old) participated in the study. The electric blanket raised the skin temperature of the whole body. The subjects became more thirsty when using the electric blanket than when using the hot water bottle (p<0.01). The hot water bottle stimulated parasympathetic activity, and resulted in a significant thermal increase in comparison with the control and the electric blanket (p<0.01).