TEXAS (KIAH) — Are you feeling more irritable than normal these days? Or maybe you’ve been experiencing brain fog this summer.

Several recent studies suggest it could be your brain’s reaction to the prolonged hot weather.

One of those studies, published in the Lancet, noted that suicide attempts increased during extreme heat waves. It also noted that people with pre-existing psychological conditions were more likely to have their mental health impacted by the hot weather. 

Research has also linked issues with memory and reaction time to extreme temperatures, but what’s behind that connection isn’t completely understood.

“As far as why this happens, there’s a lot of debate, and we’re not really 100% certain, but we do know that extreme heat plays a role on strain physically on our bodies, and so that affects the overall well-being of our health, and hence, our mental health as well,” explained Jazbeen ahmad, MD, Baylor Scott & White Health.

So, how hot is too hot for you? Researchers noted the issue isn’t necessarily how high the temperature is where you are, but rather how much higher it is than normal for you.