Here are 5 ways heatwaves can affect your health
Sweltering summers are becoming more common with climate change – and they can be dangerous. In 2022, nearly 62,000 people died from extreme heat in Europe alone, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
While heatwaves can affect anyone, people who work outside, older adults, babies, people taking certain medicines, and those with chronic health conditions are at higher risk of health problems.
Most of the consequences of heatwaves are both predictable and preventable – but it's important to know the risks in order to keep yourself safe. Here are five ways that extreme heat can affect your health.
1. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke
Heat exhaustion happens when the body overheats due to excessive water and salt loss, usually by sweating. Most people will be OK if they rest in a cool place and drink fluids.
But if someone can't cool down after 30 minutes, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke – which is a medical emergency.
Heatstroke symptoms include a rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, confusion, seizures, and losing consciousness.
2. Worsened health problems
When days are scorching and nights do not cool down enough, the human body can struggle to regulate its internal temperature, and the heart and kidneys work harder to keep the body cool.
This can aggravate existing health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.
Heat stress is the leading cause of weather-related mortality, according to the WHO, and Europe's ageing population and the prevalence of chronic diseases are expected to raise heat-related health risks in the coming years.
3. Bad air quality
Heatwaves can worsen air quality by causing more intense wildfires and trapping polluted air, in what European climate scientists have called a 'deadly combination'.
Air pollution exacerbates lung conditions such as asthma and raises the risk of heart attack and stroke due to increased blood viscosity.
4. Poor mental health
High temperatures can lead to stress, irritability, anxiety, and cognitive impairment, particularly for people with pre-existing mental health conditions.
That's through a combination of interrupted sleep, physiological reactions to extreme heat, and physical discomfort, which researchers called a 'breeding ground for psychological distress' in a 2023 review.
5. Accidents and burdened health systems
Heatwaves can cause power blackouts and disrupt transport, which can in turn compromise medical services – right at a time when more people need care.
Heat stress also leads people's attention and judgment to 'deteriorate,' according to the Swedish Work Environment Authority. That can raise the risk of traffic and work-related accidents, particularly for people who work outdoors.
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