It’s hotting up! How rising temperatures threaten human health.

Climate change is having a range of knock effects upon all aspects of society as we know it. Perhaps one of the most concerning of these impacts is what the rise in global temperatures is doing to human health itself. Our body does its best to regulate our temperature at 37OC, whether the weather is in an extreme heat wave or at freezing temperatures. But as the world warms up, heat regulation becomes more difficult to maintain, and this leaves certain groups of people at serious risk.  

For seemingly healthy people, extreme heat can still take an extreme toll upon the human body. To accommodate the temperature, our blood vessels expand, which in turn decreases our blood pressure, putting a greater strain on our hearts. It is therefore common for many people to struggle with heat exhaustion in heat waves because of this. Symptoms of heat exhaustion include, but are not limited to: dizziness, nausea, fainting, and fatigue. However, in extreme cases, the decrease in blood pressure can lead to a fatal heart attack. These symptoms therefore put people with certain conditions at an even greater risk. 

Studies have shown that exposure to greater heat and the knock-on effect of increased anaemia has led to a rise in both miscarriages and stillbirths.

One of the groups of people who are at the greatest risk is that of pregnant people. Since anyone expecting a baby is generally advised not to visit a sauna throughout their pregnancy, it is no surprise that global warming presents itself as a worrying eventuality. Studies have shown that exposure to greater heat and the knock-on effect of increased anaemia has led to a rise in both miscarriages and stillbirths, as well as babies being born early, underweight or with other complications. Although anaemia can be common during pregnancy, when left untreated, it can cause these defects or complications for the baby as well as greatly increase the mother’s risk of blood loss and infection during delivery. The bodies of pregnant individuals must work significantly harder to regulate their temperatures and are therefore at a much greater risk of both dehydration and heat strokes, which will inevitably cause great harm and distress to the foetus.  

With Autumn on the way, many of us can be relieved that at least in the short-term we won’t have to worry about heatwaves. But for the population of some developing countries, where more people work in industries exposed to direct sunlight such as agriculture, preventing some of these harmful effects may not be so simple. In particular,  pregnant people in India who are forced to work due to economic constraints are at extreme risk. With no choice but to undertake manual labour, they are in serious danger as they aim to earn a living. A University of Cambridge study also found that the country is expected to be the first to top the safety limit for healthy people in the shade, meaning that even the less vulnerable face the threat of global warming.   

In Europe alone, rising temperatures contributed to around 47,000 deaths in 2023.

In Europe alone, rising temperatures contributed to around 47,000 deaths in 2023 as we saw the hottest year on record globally. Elisa Gallo, a postdoctoral researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health reported that: “We see every year a high number of mortalities, and these trends are increasing. We should worry about [the deaths], and worry about the temperatures that are increasing, and are increasing really fast.” Although the estimated number of deaths was lower than the staggering figure in 2022 of approx. 60,000, it is higher than every other year previously since at least 2015. It is thought that when the temperature surpasses around 25-26OC is when the body really begins to suffer.  

So, how can we deal with the increase of frequent heatwaves and rise in temperatures? While we may not necessarily feel the heat as of yet, other places around the globe certainly do. There is hope that through education and mitigation, we can reduce some of these harmful climate realities for many.