The Negative Effects of Climate Change on Health

The most significant source of the current global warming trend is the greenhouse effect’s human development. There are many negative effects that climate change has on our health. Climate change can affect human well-being in two main ways by altering the frequency or severity of climate-affected health conditions and, secondly, by creating health problems that have not previously occurred. This warming occurs when pollutants in the atmosphere are heated from Earth to space. The increase in temperature through the atmosphere is more accurately called global warming.

On the other hand, climate change is the proverb currently favored by scientists because it includes the increase in the average global temperature of the Earth and, above all, the climatic influences due to this increase. Even a small rise in global temperature could have worrying consequences such as rising sea levels, population movements, food supply disruptions, floods, and negative health effects. Indeed, human health is the main burden of the consequences of climate change.

Chronic Diseases

The effects of temperature increased greenhouse gas concentrations lead to both regular and extreme temperature developments. Deprivation of the internal temperature regulation could cause heatstroke, hyperthermia in intense heat, and freeze in extreme cold. Extreme temperatures can also exacerbate chronic diseases such as cardiovascular, respiratory, cerebrovascular, and diabetic diseases.

Allergic Sensitivity

People who work outdoors, who are socially isolated and economically disadvantaged, and those who suffer from chronic diseases are more vulnerable to the effects of extreme temperatures. Climate change has changed weather patterns, which in turn have affected the quantities and location of indoor air pollutants, such as ground-level ozone and particulate matter. Increased carbon dioxide also favors the development of plants that release allergens into the air. Higher pollen concentrations and many more pollen seasons can increase allergic sensitivity and asthma attacks, limiting their spread in the workplace and among teachers. Poor air quality, both outside and inside, can harm the human respiratory and cardiovascular system.

Vector-Borne Diseases

Climate change is causing an increase in the frequency and severity of many extreme events that can have health effects, such as injuries or the passage of an event such as flood drowning. The severity and extent of health effects associated with extreme events depend on their physical effects. These vectors can carry infectious pathogens such as bacteria, germs, and protozoa, transmitted from one host or carrier to another. Seasonality, distribution, and prevalence of vector-borne disturbances are significantly influenced by climate.

Water-Related Diseases

Climate change affects freshwater and marine sources to increase human exposure to waterborne contaminants that cause disease. Water-related diseases can also be caused by toxins produced by dangerous algae and chemicals introduced into water sources through individual activities.

Exposure occurs through consumption, direct contact with contaminated drinking or recreational water, and poisonous fish and shellfish consumption. Health effects can also occur before and after an extreme event, as people involved in disaster preparedness and post-event clean-up put their health at risk.