EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON HEALTH by @konkaar

Good day lovely people, I trust everyone is doing well. Welcome to my blog. Today I will be posting about some effects of climate change on health.

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Climate is basically the average weather condition of a specific geographical area over a long
period of time. The weather conditions include temperature, sunshine, seasons, and rainfall. A
long-term alteration in the usual weather conditions is known as Climate Change.
Mostly this climate change comes as a result of human activities such as the burning of fossils such
as coal and natural gas, deforestation, and so on. Climate changes pose threats to mankind's health
by affecting the water, food we eat and drink respectively. It also affects the air we breathe and
the weather we experience around us. Below are some of the effects climate change can have on the
health system.

• It affects food safety and Nutrition: Extreme events such as flooding and drought due to
  climate change create challenges on food availability and distribution. There may be
  a shortage of food if roads linking to farms are damaged by flood or if there is low crop
  yield due to drought. This affects the nutrition status of people and thereby affecting their
  health negatively. Also, higher air temperatures increase cases of salmonella and other
  bacteria-related food poisoning causing health-related issues like gastrointestinal distress
  and in some severe cases death.
  
  
  
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• Increase in vector-borne diseases: Diseases that are transmitted by disease vectors such as
  mosquitoes, ticks, lice, and fleas are vector-borne diseases. Disease-causing microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and protozoa are transmitted by these vectors.
  Climate changes in temperature, precipitation, and other extreme weather conditions
  increase the geographic range of diseases spread by these vectors. It also influences the
  time of the year certain illnesses become very common. Ticks that cause Lyme disease
  for instance are limited to the temperature. Therefore as the temperature keeps rising due to
  climate change, they may become very active early in a season thereby increasing vector-borne diseases. Also, extreme temperatures such as too hot, cold, or dry can influence the
  location and multiplication of these vectors. In warm moist climate conditions,
  mosquitoes are very active and this increases the risk of being infected with vector-born
  disease like Malaria, West Nile Virus spread by them.
  
  
  
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• It affects the quality of the air we breathe: Climate change affects the air we breathe around
  us. For instance, higher temperatures and shifting weather patterns worsen the air quality
  we breathe, thereby causing health effects such as asthmatic attacks, respiratory and
  cardiovascular diseases. Wildfires are very rampant in warmer temperatures, this creates
  smoke and other air pollutants in the atmosphere affecting the quality of air. Small
  particles and liquid droplets suspended in the air as a result of smog, smoke from wildfires
  may be carried by wind to far places causing air pollution. Inhalation of these fine
  particles can cause adverse health effects ranging from lung cancer, chronic obstructive
  pulmonary disease, and cardiovascular-related issues.
  
  
  
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• Increase in water-related illness: When people are exposed to contaminated drinking or
  recreational water, their health is been jeopardized. Climate change such as more frequent
  heavy rainfall, runoffs, and Storms, and high-temperature increase the risk of water-related
  illness due to increase exposure to disease pathogens. Runoffs and floods increase
  pollution of recreational water bodies, change in water temperature can lead to an increase in
  water-borne vibrio bacteria and other harmful algal toxins present in seafood at most
  times of the year. Also, storms can damage water infrastructure thereby increasing the risk to
  been exposed to contaminated water.
  
  
  
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• Lastly, it affects the mental health of people: Changes in physical surrounding due to climate
  change can affect the mental health of people. For instance, leaving in extreme weather
  conditions leads to stress and other mental health issues especially when one loses a
  loved one or home due to Heavy rainfall, Floods, or Storm. Also, people with pre-existing
  mental issues are at risk in higher climate conditions

Thank you for reading my content. See you around.