Climate Change and Health effect Diseases

Throughout the world, the prevalence of some diseases and other threats to human health depend largely on local climate. Extreme temperatures can lead directly to loss of life, while climate-related disturbances in ecological systems, such as changes in the range of infective parasites, can indirectly impact the incidence of serious infectious diseases. In addition, warm temperatures can increase air and water pollution, which in turn harm human health.

Human health is strongly affected by social, political, economic, environmental and technological factors, including urbanization, affluence, scientific developments, individual behavior and individual vulnerability (e.g., genetic makeup, nutritional status, emotional well-being, age, gender and economic status). The extent and nature of climate change impacts on human health vary by region, by relative vulnerability of population groups, by the extent and duration of exposure to climate change itself and by society’s ability to adapt to or cope with the change.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded:

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.

Given the complexity of factors that influence human health, assessing health impacts related to climate change poses a difficult challenge. Furthermore, climate change is expected to bring a few benefits to health, including fewer deaths due to exposure to cold. Nonetheless, the IPCC has concluded that, overall (globally), negative climate-related health impacts are expected to outweigh positive health impacts during this century. At the same time, the quality of medical care and public health systems in the United States may lessen climate impacts on human health within the U.S.

Direct Temperature Effects

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has produced the Excessive Heat Events Guidebook with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Municipal officials in both the U.S. and Canada provided useful information that can be used to help the public cope with excessive heat.

Designed to help community officials, emergency managers, meteorologists, and others plan for and respond to excessive heat events, the guidebook highlights best practices that have been employed to save lives during excessive heat events in different urban areas and provides a menu of options that officials can use to respond to these events in their communities.

Climate change may directly affect human health through increases in average temperature. Such increases may lead to more extreme heat waves during the summer while producing less extreme cold spells during the winter. Rising average temperatures are predicted to increase the incidence of heat waves and hot extremes. In the United States, Chicago is projected to experience 25 percent more frequent heat waves and Los Angeles a four-to-eight-fold increase in heat wave days by the end of the century. Particular segments of the population such as those with heart problems, asthma, the elderly, the very young and the homeless can be especially vulnerable to extreme heat.

Extreme Events

Extreme weather events can be destructive to human health and well-being. The extent to which climate change may affect the frequency and severity of these events, such as hurricanes and extreme heat and floods, is being investigated by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. An increase in the frequency of extreme events may result in more event-related deaths, injuries, infectious diseases, and stress-related disorders.

Climate-Sensitive Diseases

Climate change may increase the risk of some infectious diseases, particularly those diseases that appear in warm areas and are spread by mosquitoes and other insects. These "vector-borne" diseases include malaria, dengue fever, yellow fever, and encephalitis. Also, algal blooms could occur more frequently as temperatures warm — particularly in areas with polluted waters — in which case diseases (such as cholera) that tend to accompany algal blooms could become more frequent.

Higher temperatures, in combination with favorable rainfall patterns, could prolong disease transmission seasons in some locations where certain diseases already exist. In other locations, climate change will decrease transmission via reductions in rainfall or temperatures that are too high for transmission. For example, temperature and humidity levels must be sufficient for certain disease-carrying vectors, such as ticks that carry Lyme disease, to thrive. And climate change could push temperature and humidity levels either towards or away from optimum conditions for the survival rate of ticks.

Though average U.S. and global temperatures are expected to continue to rise, the potential for an increase in the spread of diseases Exit EPA Disclaimer will depend not only on climatic but also on non-climatic factors, primarily the effectiveness of the public health system.

The IPCC has noted that the global population at risk from vector-borne malaria will increase by between 220 million and 400 million in the next century. While most of the increase is predicted to occur in Africa, some increased risk is projected in Britain, Australia, India and Portugal.

Tick-borne Lyme disease also may also expand its range in Canada. However, socioeconomic factors such as public health measures will play a large role in determining the existence or extent of such infections. Water-borne diseases may increase where warmer air and water temperatures combine with heavy runoff from agricultural and urban surfaces, but may be largely contained by standard water-treatment practices.

Air Quality

Climate change is expected to contribute to some air quality problems. Respiratory disorders may be exacerbated by warming-induced increases in the frequency of smog (ground-level ozone) events and particulate air pollution.

Ground-level ozone can damage lung tissue, and is especially harmful for those with asthma and other chronic lung diseases. Sunlight and high temperatures, combined with other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds, can cause ground-level ozone to increase. Climate change may increase the concentration of ground-level ozone, but the magnitude of the effect is uncertain. For other pollutants, the effects of climate change and/or weather are less well studied and results vary by region.

Another pollutant of concern is "particulate matter," also known as particle pollution or PM. Particulate matter is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. When breathed in, these particles can reach the deepest regions of the lungs. Exposure to particle pollution is linked to a variety of significant health problems. Particle pollution also is the main cause of visibility impairment (haze) in the nation’s cities and national parks. Climate change may indirectly affect the concentration of PM pollution in the air by affecting natural or “biogenic” sources of PM such as wildfires and dust from dry soils.

Girls Participate in Sports is Good Excerise

Playing sports can help you through tough periods and put you on the path to a healthy adult life. The Women's Sports Foundation has conducted research on the link between academic success and sports for women and girls. Their research shows that:

* Girls who participate in sports are less likely to do drugs, less likely to get pregnant, and more likely to graduate from high school than those who do not play sports.
* Half of all girls who participate in sports have higher than average levels of self-esteem and less depression.
* 80 percent of women identified as key leaders in Fortune 500 companies participated in sports during their childhood.
* Women who are student athletes graduate at higher rates than women students generally.

What kind of sports or exercise would you like to participate in? In picking a sport the focus should not be on what particular sport you excel in, but what sport you enjoy most!

If you are quiet, shy, or just not very athletic, go for walks with a friend or your mom. Try hiking or swimming on the weekends as a family. You might also try noncompetitive dance, gymnastics, aerobics, or ice skating classes. Learn about playing sports with an illness or disability.


If you are a bit of a “tomboy“ and always seem to want to play with the boys at the park, go for the more competitive sports. Enroll in either co-ed or all-girl sports such as softball, soccer, basketball, field hockey, or track. Let’s not forget football!

Even if you consider yourself a “girly-girl,” you can enjoy participating in sports as well. Dance and cheerleading often are overlooked when considering sports, but they are physically demanding and are excellent forms of exercise.

Pets Animals Dogs, Cats, Ferrets

In the past, bites from domestic animals were the major cause of rabies in humans in the United States. Domestic animals includes both pets and farm animals. Today pets and farm animals can be vaccinated against the rabies virus. In the United States today, rabies is more common in wild animals than in pets. In other parts of the world, though, dogs still account for most rabies exposures in humans.

Dogs


Dogs were domesticated from wolves many years ago. One of the earliest suggested records of a domestic dog is from the Middle East around 12,000 years ago. The dog in this picture has been diagnosed with rabies. In 2001, 89 dogs in the United States diagnosed with rabies.

Cats

There are approximately 30 domestic breeds of cats in the world. Cats are the domestic animal most likely to have rabies in the United States. There were 270 cases of rabies in cats in the United States in 2001.


Ferrets

Many people now have ferrets as pets. Pet ferrets can be vaccinated against rabies. There is one type of wild ferret in North America, called the black-footed ferret. It is the rarest North American mammal. There were no cases of rabies in ferrets in the United States in 2001.

Domestic animals with rabies act differently than healthy animals. They may try to snap at you or bite you. Other signs are general sickness, increased drooling, and problems swallowing. If you see an animal acting strangely, avoid it and let an adult know. Remember, not all cats, dogs, and ferrets have been vaccinated against rabies. If you see a stray dog, cat, or ferret, do not pet it - have an adult call the local animal control control officer for help.



Rabies has decreased in domestic animals in this country during the past 40 years. In 2001, there were 497 cases of rabies in domestic animals in the United States.

Various Exercising Getting a Good Workout

To know if you are exercising hard enough and also at a safe level, you will need to figure out your target heart rate. Your target heart rate can depend on the type of exercise you are doing.

Moderate exercise includes activities like fast walking, swimming, dancing, or water aerobics.

Vigorous exercise includes activities like jogging, aerobics, basketball, fast swimming, or fast dancing. This level of exercise is more intense.

1. Stop exercising briefly to take your heart rate (pulse). Take it within 5 seconds of when you stop exercising. We recommend taking your pulse at the wrist (as shown in the picture). You can feel your pulse on your wrist in line with the thumb. Place the tips of the index and middle fingers over the artery and press lightly. Do not use the thumb since it has a pulse of its own. Take a full 60-second count of the heartbeats, or take it for 30 seconds and multiply by 2. Start the count on a beat, which is counted as "zero."

2. Later, when you're back on your computer, using the calculator below, figure out your target heart rate. The calculator will give your maximum and minimum heart rate. This is called your target zone. See if the number you remembered as your pulse falls within this zone. Try to exercise in this zone.



You can also try using the talk/sing test to make sure you are working out at the right level.

• If you can talk while you are doing a physical activity, you are probably moving at a pace that is good for you.
• If you are too breathless to talk, you should slow down.
• If you can sing while you are doing a physical activity, you may not be working hard enough; so, you should pick up the pace!

You may be looking to measure your exercise success in pounds, or by how much weight you lose. If so, it is important to know that muscle weighs more than fat, so weighing yourself won’t tell you if you are fit. Being able to exercise in your target heart rate zone is a better sign of your fitness level. It is still important to be at a healthy weight for your age, which can be measured by your Body Mass Index (BMI).

Foxes: active animal at night.

Foxes are part of the canine family. They eat meat, insects, and even plants. Foxes tend to be shy and nervous. Many are active at night.



Diet: Small mammals, fruit, nuts, grass, and insects

Habitat: Most of the United States. Different types of foxes live in different areas.

The picture below shows a fox with rabies. The animal is paralyzed and cannot move because the virus has attacked the nervous system. You should never touch or approach a wild fox. If you see a fox acting strangely, have an adult call your local animal control officer for help.



In 2001 in the United States, 437 foxes tested positive for rabies. Signs of rabies in foxes include having no fear of humans, acting aggressively, or acting listless. It is important to know that any fox anywhere can have the disease, not just the states that found rabies in foxes in 2001. Always be careful of any fox you see behaving strangely.

No more excuses-make Excerise work for you

If you think getting fit is difficult, you are not alone. Many people find it hard to get started, for many different reasons. Do any of these reasons sound like you?

• I can’t exercise because I don’t have any equipment
• I don’t have time to exercise
• I don’t know how to exercise
• My parents/guardian aren’t active
• Exercise sounds so boring to me
• Equipment or health clubs cost too much

two girls stretchingIf you can relate to any of these statements, it is important that you read on for tips on leading an active lifestyle. You don’t have to be an athlete or be involved in an organized sport to be fit. You just have to sit less and move more! It is also important to get other members of your family moving, too.

Make a fitness plan

There are lots of other things that might get in the way of regular exercise. You might think your schedule is full or you are not sure how to get started. For each situation, there is a solution.


I am too busy!

Try exercising after school, or pick a time that works best for you each day. It's up to you to make the time and effort.

Excercise bores me!

Try out different activities. Sick of jogging? Try rollerblading. Not interested in lifting weights? Try Pilates

Its hard to stick with!

Try exercising with a friend or a family member to give one another support.

I don't have equipment or access to a health club!

Choose activities that don’t require special equipment, such as jogging or walking.

Find resources within your community that are either low-cost or free, such as park and recreation programs.


I don't Know how!

Start with activities that you don’t have to learn new skills for, such as walking climbing stairs, or jogging. Exercise with friends who are either beginners like you, or who are more experienced and can teach you what they know. Take a class to learn new things, such as a Pilates class at your community center or health club