Experts warn that increasing air temperatures with climate change increase diseases caused by animals and vectors and prolong the periods when seasonal diseases such as influenza are effective.
Answering questions of the AA correspondent regarding the health risks that may arise from climate change, Prof. Dr. Emine Didem Evci Kiraz, Professor of Adnan Menderes University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medical Sciences, said that with the increase in air temperatures, the effects of ultraviolet radiation of the sun, diseases related to changes in food and water quality, infectious disease agents and their spread, animal-borne diseases and mental problems may increase, and new diseases may also emerge.
Explaining that the body temperature of a normal person is between 36.1 and 37.8 degrees and that there are mechanisms such as sweating and heat transfer to maintain it, Kiraz stated the increase in air temperature puts pressure on the heart and vessels, causes fluid loss in tissues and cells and affects kidney functions.
Noting that if the body is under stress, metabolic syndromes may develop and organ balance may be disrupted, Kiraz said: “This may result in emergencies such as low blood pressure and sudden fainting. Prolonged temperature increase and dehydration may cause the person to become unable to move and may result in death. Sudden heat waves can also cause mental problems, violence and unsafe behaviour.”
At temperatures as high as 37 degrees Celsius, a suitable environment is created for the rapid reproduction of bacteria, Kiraz said: “The body becomes more vulnerable when hygiene is not maintained. Temperature increase can lead to food spoilage and cause an increase in food and waterborne diseases. Diseases such as diarrhoea may occur with changes in water and food quality.
“Events such as floods and energy cuts due to climate change can also increase water and food-borne diseases and cause an increase in food poisoning.”
Stating that vectors and animals can also be effective in the transmission of new diseases and infections with climate change, Kiraz stated that diseases such as arboviruses, dengue fever, Chikungunya fever, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever have increased.
Stating that the effect of climate change on diseases such as allergies and asthma should not be ignored, Kiraz said, “Events such as air pollution, floods, forest fires and dust storms can change the structure of pollen and the factors it carries, increase their density and cause diseases. We also predict that the frequency of diseases such as asthma, rhinosinusitis, COPD and respiratory tract infections will increase with the prolonged pollen season.”
Risk groups
Stating that diseases caused by hot weather affect some groups more, the elderly, nursing mothers, infants and children, bedridden patients, people living or working on the street and those with low health literacy can be counted among these groups, Kiraz listed the measures to be taken as follows:
“By going down to the regional, city and even neighbourhood level, heat-related diseases should be classified according to the different characteristics of each neighbourhood. Local governments should increase neighbourhood fountains and fountains, shading works, and natural afforestation.
“At bus stops, natural shading areas and mechanisms that can provide cold air when necessary should be created instead of glass and similar materials that create a greenhouse effect. It is predicted that deaths related to air temperatures will increase by 370 per cent globally until the middle of the 21st century. Individuals should pay attention to water consumption, body hygiene and protection from sunlight. In regions such as Southeastern Anatolia, mosquito nets, protective creams or chemicals applied to the body should be used against vectors.”
Bülent Tutluoğlu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Academic Respiratory Association and Pulmonologist Prof. Dr. Bülent Tutluoğlu, stated that the effects of the increase in air temperatures on the cardiovascular system are particularly evident.