How Climate Change Is Affecting Human Health

There are many effects of climate change on human health. Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. These all threaten the health of millions of people every year. No matter whether it be a direct health effect such as heat-related illness or indirect impacts resulting from malnutrition, food or water shortages, or stress due to livelihood insecurity.

Table of Content

1. Climate Change Is A Major Concern For Human Health
2. Thirst, Dehydration and Waterborne Illness Are On The Rise
3. Flooding Can Lead To Numerous Health Problems
4. Mosquitoes And Ticks Thrive In Warmer Temperatures
5. Allergies And Asthma Are Worsening Because Of Climate Change
6. Climate Change Is Exacerbating The Threats To Global Health

It’s well known that climate change is having an impact on weather. What you might not know is that one of the ways it’s most dangerous is affecting your health. Be it through water shortages, exposure to extreme heat or certain diseases that only appear under certain temperatures and rainfall, climate change has a direct impact on your well-being and even your mortality.

In fact, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), climate change is ranked alongside other major health risks such as air pollution and second-hand smoke. This ranking was made by WHO in its recent report, which recommends more support for global climate action and increased efforts around the world to minimise its impact on global health.

While some people still deny the impacts of climate change on earth and its living organisms, climate scientists have confirmed that we are in a period of global warming. Rapid urbanisation along with the extensive use of natural resources is one cause of global warming. This in turn contributes to deterioration in human health. Climate change has far-reaching consequences on human health, during all phases of life, from conception to old age.

It is undeniable that rising global temperatures are already changing the way we live, with more extreme weather events becoming the norm and more soil-borne diseases like malaria spreading to higher altitudes. It would be naive to think climate change will not affect human health in the future.

In fact, 75% of the earth’s population does experience thirst daily, let alone once and a while. But what do you do about it when you feel thirsty? Often, we look towards the nearest source of water to quench our thirst.

But what if that water is contaminated with bacteria? This could lead to dehydration, which then in turn may lead to death! That’s why it’s so important for us to protect ourselves from waterborne illnesses by drinking safe (and clean) water.

Climate change is a global problem that affects people in every corner of the world. The effects of climate change on human health can be direct (such as increased exposure to extreme heat, which increases the risk of heat-related illness and death) or indirect (such as food insecurity, which can lead to malnutrition).

The health impacts of climate change are already being felt around the world. Air pollution from fossil fuel combustion and industrial activities is linked to increased rates of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, as well as cancer.

Extreme weather events such as floods, droughts and heatwaves are responsible for millions of deaths each year. According to one study, an increase in average temperature by 0.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels could result in 5% more deaths per day worldwide due to extreme heat waves alone.

Climate change is expected to worsen existing health issues such as allergies and asthma, while also contributing to new problems such as malnutrition and food insecurity.

As climate change makes heavy rains more frequent and higher in intensity, floods are becoming a more dangerous public health hazard.

While the impact of floods on public health is often immediate and obvious, their effect on human health is less understood than other disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes. With climate change, heavy rains are becoming more frequent and higher in intensity.

As floodwaters rise, they can spread disease, destroy clean water sources, and damage food supplies. Waterborne infections like cholera and typhoid are especially acute threats with rising sea levels.

Flooding can also lead to skin diseases such as scabies and lice, which affect people’s health and well-being by causing itching, rashes or open sores that may become infected if left untreated.

Floods also disrupt the supply of medicines and medical equipment needed to treat patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

In addition to causing illness and death directly through contaminated water sources or poor hygiene conditions during clean-up efforts, flooding also creates ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes carrying malaria and other insect-borne diseases like yellow fever. Flooding can also release toxic chemicals into the environment when sewage systems overflow into rivers or lakes.

Across the globe temperatures are reaching unprecedented levels, but did you know that mosquitoes and ticks thrive in warmer temperatures? Mosquitoes and ticks are out there waiting to get to you and your family. Know what to look for and how to protect yourself from these insects.

Mosquitoes love warm weather, especially when it’s humid and wet. If you live in an area where it gets hot during this time of year, mosquitoes can be particularly annoying because they are most active at dusk and into the night when they’re looking for a meal — which is usually us!

You know a mosquito bite when it happens because they inject their saliva into your skin while biting — this is what causes itching and swelling around the bite mark.

Mosquito season usually starts in April and ends in November, but it varies depending on where you live. If you live in a tropical area, then you can expect mosquitoes all year round. They’re known carriers of many diseases including Zika, Dengue Fever and West Nile Virus (WNV).

They can also carry other parasites like the Chikungunya virus which causes severe joint pain like arthritis. You may not see these insects, but they can be found near standing water such as ponds, lakes, or puddles.

Ticks are another type of insect that you need to be aware of during mosquito season because they can spread deadly diseases such as Lyme disease if left untreated! Ticks wait for their victims by hiding under leaves or grasses until they come along; then they attach themselves to their victim’s skin and begin feeding on blood until they grow large enough to lay eggs in your body.

Did you know that climate change is making allergies and asthma worse? Not in a “doomsday scenario” sort of way, but rather in a very real way that we are already witnessing. The culprits? Global warming (isn’t it always?) and climate change, which comes with higher pollen counts and drier air. Both of which make problems like allergies, asthma and hay fever worse than they should be.

The thing is, we’re not even talking about some distant future where things will get worse. We’re talking about right now. And we’re talking about how you can help yourself — or someone you love — cope with these issues before they get worse than they already are.

It’s not just the pollen count that’s increasing due to higher temperatures. It’s also the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere — CO2 is a key ingredient for plant growth and plants need more CO2 when it’s warmer out. This means there will be more pollen floating around in the air during allergy season because there will be more plant growth everywhere.

Allergies are caused by an overactive immune system reacting to something harmless like pollen or mould spores in the environment, causing an inflammatory response from the body that leads to sneezing, runny nose, mild discomfort, and itchy eyes — symptoms that we all know too well if we have experienced allergies in our lives.

The most recent research on this topic shows that climate change is causing people to have more allergy symptoms, especially during the spring months when trees are blooming. Additionally, there’s evidence to suggest that people with asthma are more likely to die from an asthma attack during periods of extreme heat or drought — both of which are becoming more frequent due to global warming.

The dangerous new reality of a greener world is causing colossal health issues for those with pollen allergies and asthma. Since plants can sense changes in the climate, they begin producing more pollen—which, in turn, leads to more allergic reactions. It’s a cycle that will affect the entire planet, leading to even more sickness as the planet continues to warm.

Climate change is undoubtedly the greatest threat facing humanity today. Not only are we seeing unprecedented natural disasters destabilising our governments and threatening the livelihoods of millions of people. We’re also experiencing a rapidly encroaching apocalyptic death spiral where a slew of natural catastrophes is worsening some of the greatest health-related threats out there.

Climate change is causing an increase in extreme weather events around the globe — from heat waves to hurricanes and typhoons. These events can have an enormous impact on human health by affecting access to clean water and sanitation facilities, causing food scarcity and malnutrition, reducing access to healthcare services, and increasing rates of infectious disease transmission.

We’re seeing deadly heatwaves, droughts, flooding, and wildfires wreaking havoc on our food supply and water supply, while also making it harder for us to produce enough food or water to sustain ourselves.

Climate change is also causing disease outbreaks and pandemics by contributing to extreme weather events like hurricanes and flooding that can spread disease-carrying insects across continents.

In addition to climate change exacerbating existing health issues, many scientists believe that climate change will cause new health threats as well — including a rise in mosquito-borne diseases due to warmer temperatures allowing mosquitoes to thrive further north than ever before.

In any situation, it is difficult and dangerous to predict how the future will unfold, particularly when so many variables are involved, and the future is a long way off. Regarding climate change and its impact on human health, it’s still difficult to agree on specific numbers of how many lives will be lost or saved due to various climate-related effects.

Only time will tell just how catastrophic the effects of climate change will be, but one thing remains certain: we must stop polluting the atmosphere if we want our species to survive.