The world is grappling with global warming, a repercussion of human deeds. Countries all over the world are suffering from climate change.
Little do we realise that global warming might also be fatal in certain conditions. Apart from the discomfort excessive heat is causing, there are several other severe effects as well.
This Is How Extreme Heat Is Dangerous:
Excessive heat can cause severe illness and can be fatal too. Sweat, discomfort, irritation and lethargy are not the only by-products of this summer.
“The additional 1.4C of heat caused by climate change would have been the difference between life and death for many people during May and June,” said Karina Izquierdo, Urban Advisor for the Latin American and Caribbean region at Red Cross Climate Centre.
Our body’s optimum temperature is 37 degrees Celsius. But when the environment’s temperature rises, our body has to work harder to keep organs and tissues at normal temperatures. Staying in the heat for too long increases strain on the cardiovascular system, raising the risk of adverse health effects. In fact, in very severe cases, it could lead to heart and kidney failure.
“Hot weather means your body has to work harder to keep its core temperature to normal levels, and this puts extra strain on your heart, lungs and kidneys which can worsen an underlying heart condition,” said Dr Tushar Tayal, Consultant – Internal Medicine, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram in an interview with Hindustan Times Digital.
This time the temperatures have taken away the cool respite of nights as well, thus reducing the body’s recovery time and making restful sleep difficult. Consequently, the body becomes over-stressed and more susceptible to overheating.
“Heatwaves are a silent and invisible killer,” said Professor Liz Stephens, a researcher on climate risk and resilience at Britain’s University of Reading. “We don’t often see the impact that they have had on human health until the mortality statistics are published many months later,” she added.
In a combination of high humidity and temperatures, our cooling system, that is, the sweat mechanism stops working increasing the likelihood of the body’s temperature rising.
“Humid heat waves kill a lot more people than dry heat waves,” affirmed physiology professor W. Larry Kenney at Pennsylvania State University.
Heat stroke is a life-threatening medical emergency which is caused when the core body temperature rises above 37 degrees Celsius. When the surrounding temperatures are more than our body’s optimum temperature, the body starts absorbing heat from the environment.
“When nighttime temperatures are very high, the body does not cool down and recover from the daytime heat. This can cause issues like heatstroke,” public health expert Dileep Mavalankar from the Indian Institute of Public Health Gandhinagar told ‘The Times of India.’
Read More: This Is Why Climate Change Affects Women More Than Men
Examples Proving These Facts:
“We likely do not know the full picture of heat-related deaths, since they are usually only confirmed and reported months after the event, if at all,” said the World Weather Attribution (WWA) group of scientists.
More than 1,000 people died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia as temperatures hit dangerous levels.
Some of us are very privileged to sleep in AC rooms at night, work in offices having centralised air conditioner systems, and travel back home in AC cars. We barely spend 15 minutes in the sun however, all of us do not lie on the same platform.
Such unprecedented scorching temperatures have made the homeless the most vulnerable. “The poorest bear the cost of such climate change. Most of these people live below flyovers and out in the open and have no protection against the heat. These are mostly heatwave deaths,” Sunil Kumar Aledia, who runs the non-profit organisation Centre for Holistic Development.
The NGO shared government figures according to which a total of 192 homeless people died in New Delhi between June 11 and June 19, this year.
As the mercury continues to touch great heights, it is extremely important to stay hydrated and calm. The scorching heat has been equally harsh for the stray dogs, birds and other animals.
Image Credits: Google Images
Feature image designed by Saudamini Seth
Sources: Moneycontrol, NDTV, Forbes
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This post is tagged under: women, India, policies, climate change, heat waves, heat stroke, animals, NGO, SDG, AC, centralized, Saudi Arabia, Hajj, mercury, discomfort, lethargy, irritation
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