According to the EPA, certain diseases and health maladies are caused by local climates. It is widely known that extreme temperatures can be deadly. But climate-related changes in our ecological systems such as infectious parasites can cause infectious diseases.  Additionally, the hotter the climate, the bigger the increase in air and water pollution.

Of course, the effects of the climate on our health vary from region to region, by population, by how long and how severe the exposure to a specific climate change and by the society’s ability to deal with that change. In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change stated: “Human beings are exposed to climate change through changing weather patterns (for example, more intense and frequent extreme events) and indirectly through changes in water, air, food quality and quantity, ecosystems, agriculture, and economy. At this early stage the effects are small but are projected to progressively increase in all countries and regions.”

Because there are so many factors affecting health, it’s difficult to pinpoint the actual damage done by climate change. And there are some positive effects on health. However, globally it has been determined that negative climate-related health impacts outweigh the positives. The good news is that with technological advancements in medical care and public health systems, those negative impacts will not be as severe as they would in years gone by.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunction with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Homeland Security, produced the Excessive Heat Events Guidebook. This handbook is designed to help people better understand and cope with the negative effects of climate change on health. It talks about the best practices employed to save lives during excessive heat events in different urban areas, and gives options that officials can use to counteract to these events in their respective communities.

The more the temperature goes up, the more drastic the effects on health. Temperatures are consistently rising, and are predicted to increase heat waves and extreme temperature changes. The EPA predicts that Chicago will experience 25 percent more frequent heat waves and Los Angeles a four-to-eight-fold increase in heat waves by the end of this century. As a result, people with health conditions such as heart problems or asthma, and the elderly, very young and homeless are considered most vulnerable. The U.S. Global Change Research Program determined that an increase in the frequency of extreme climate events may result in more event-related deaths, injuries, infectious diseases and even stress-related disorders.

Serious diseases caused by extreme climate change occur far more often in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These are called “vector-borne” diseases, and include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis.  Higher temperatures combined with heavy rainfalls could prolong the transmission of these diseases in places where they already exist. Conversely, in other places temperature and humidity levels must be great enough for certain types of disease-carrying vectors such as ticks that carry Lyme disease to thrive.

Average U.S. and global temperatures are expected to rise, but the potential for the spread of diseases depends on climatic and non-climatic factors. As previously stated, the society’s medical and health system can help to kof eep the spread of diseases under control.

Although this is certainly NOT a fun topic, it is important to be aware of the effects of climate changes in order to protect you and your family.