With extreme heat gripping much of the Northern Hemisphere last week, authorities and public health experts have issued heat warnings to help keep people safe.
Parts of China, India, the Middle East, southern Europe and the United States are bracing for the possibility of new record highs.
WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?
Photo: AFP 照片：法新社
Heat affects health in several ways.
Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking and thirst, can affect anyone, and is not usually serious, providing the person cools down within 30 minutes.
The more serious version is heatstroke, when the body’s core temperature goes above 40.6 degrees Celsius. It is a medical emergency and can lead to long-term organ damage and death. Symptoms include rapid breathing, confusion or seizures, and nausea.
Photo: EPA-EFE 照片：歐新社
As climate change continues to drive temperatures upward in coming years, the danger of humidity is also expected to rise. Warmer air can hold more moisture. And more moisture in the air makes it harder for people to sweat to cool down.
WHO IS AT RISK?
Some people are more vulnerable, including young babies and older people, as well as people who must stay active or are more exposed, such as homeless people.
Photo: EPA-EFE照片：歐新社
Existing conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as diabetes, can also heighten risk — and be exacerbated by heat.
Many countries do not record heat as a specific cause of death, which means we do not have statistics to gauge this risk on communities.
However, a 2021 study in the Lancet estimated that just under a half-million deaths can be attributed to excess heat every year — a conservative count that lacks data from many low-income countries.
Many in Europe fear a repeat of the 2022 summer, during which heatwaves killed an estimated 61,000 people, scientists said.
The risks will continue to rise as climate change pushes global temperatures even higher in coming decades.
LESS OBVIOUS RISKS
Apart from testing a body’s internal thermostat, extreme heat can pose a host of other, secondary risks.
Warmer temperatures encourage the growth of bacteria and algae. So heatwaves can raise the risk of water being contaminated with diseases like cholera, or of water bodies becoming choked with toxic algae.
Heat can also damage crops, adding to concerns about food security.
Starting from 2030, experts expect that global death tolls will increase by 250,000 per year as a result of four climate-related health risks: heat stress, malnutrition associated with food insecurity, malaria, and diarrhea, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Wildfires fueled by dried-out trees or shrubs can lead to dangerous levels of air pollution, which can cause lung inflammation and tissue damage.
Studies have also suggested that both extreme heat as well as exposure to wildfire smoke could also be linked with low birthweight and premature births.
Heat stress can also contribute to poorer mental health. Rising night-time temperatures can disrupt people’s sleep patterns, worsening mental health outcomes.
TIMING MATTERS
Experts say more deaths occur earlier in the summer when people’s bodies have not had a chance to acclimatize to the season.
Location matters, too; people are at higher risk in places where they are not used to such heat, including parts of Europe.
As outdoor work becomes dangerous amid high temperatures, some countries and communities have shuttered schools or forced a shortening of daytime work hours for businesses.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
Public health agencies from India to the United States have issued advice on keeping cool, including avoiding exertion where possible and staying hydrated.
Authorities often aim to help by setting up cooling centers, distributing extra water or providing free access to air-conditioned public transport.
Workers should think about having more breaks and changing their clothing too, scientists said.
It is important to check in on the vulnerable, including older and isolated people, they said.
Heatstroke is a medical emergency and requires immediate professional attention.
(Reuters)
極端高溫上週席捲北半球大部分地區，各國政府及公共衛生專家發出了高溫警報，以助確保民眾安全。
中國、印度、中東、南歐、美國等國部分地區正準備好迎接可能會創紀錄的高溫。
它會對健康造成何威脅？
高溫對健康所造成的影響有好幾種。
熱衰竭——包括頭暈、頭痛、發抖及口渴，在任何人身上都可能發生，若患者能在30分鐘內冷卻下來的話，情況通常不會太嚴重。
更嚴重的情況是中暑，即身體核心溫度超過攝氏40.6度。這是一種醫療緊急情況，可能導致器官長期損傷及死亡。症狀包括呼吸急促、神智不清或癲癇、噁心。
氣候變化未來將持續推高氣溫，濕氣的危險預計也會隨之增加。溫暖的空氣可含納更多水分。而且空氣中的水分越多，人們就越難流汗降溫。
誰是高危險群？
有些人比較脆弱，包括小嬰兒和老人，以及必須活動或較無遮蔭的人，例如無家可歸的人。
原有的疾病，包括呼吸道、心血管疾病與糖尿病，也會提高風險，病情也會因高溫而加劇。
許多國家並未將高溫記錄為具體的死亡原因，這表示我們並沒有統計數據來衡量此風險。
但2021年發表在醫學期刊《刺胳針》的一項研究估計，每年有近50萬人因過熱而死亡——這是一個保守的統計數字，並未計入許多低收入國家的數據。
科學家表示，許多歐洲人擔心2022年夏季的情況會重演，當時的熱浪導致約61,000人死亡。
未來數十年，隨著氣候變化將全球氣溫推高，風險將持續升高。
較不明顯的危險
極端高溫除了考驗人體內部恆溫機制，還會帶來許多其他風險。
氣溫升高會促進細菌和藻類的生長。因此，熱浪會增加水被霍亂等疾病污染的風險，及水體被有毒藻類堵塞的風險。
高溫也會損害農作物，讓糧食安全的問題加劇。
根據世界衛生組織（WHO）的資料，專家預計，由於四種與氣候相關的健康風險：熱壓力、糧食不足所造成的營養不良，以及瘧疾和腹瀉，2030年起全球死亡人數將每年增加25萬人。
乾枯的喬木或灌木所引發的野火，可能會造成危險級的空氣汙染，從而導致肺部發炎和組織損傷。
研究亦顯示，極端高溫以及暴露於野火的煙霧中也可能與低出生體重及早產兒有關。
熱壓力也會導致心理健康惡化。夜間氣溫升高會擾亂人們的睡眠模式，導致心理健康惡化。
時間是重要因素
專家表示，初夏的死亡人數較多，因為那時人們的身體尚未適應這個季節。
地點也很重要；在某些地方（包括歐洲部分地區）人們不習慣這種炎熱，因而風險更高。
高溫下在戶外工作變得危險，因此一些國家和社區關閉了學校，或強制企業縮短白天工作的時間。
你可以怎麼做
從印度到美國的公共衛生部門都公布了建議，教大家降溫的做法，包括盡可能避免勞累，以及多喝水。
政府通常會提供協助，像是設立降溫中心、發送額外的水，或讓民眾免費搭乘有空調的公共交通工具。
科學家表示，工人應考慮多休息，並更換衣服。
他們說，關注弱勢群體是很重要的，包括老人和獨居的人。
中暑是一種醫療緊急情況，需要立即進行專業護理。
（台北時報林俐凱編譯）
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