• Bjorn Stevens. "It is not true that we are at a point of no return regarding climate change

It is not a futuristic, something that might happen. It is something that is already happening. Here and now. "Climate change is already affecting the health of the population," warn Cristina Linares and Julio Díaz, researchers from the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics of the Carlos III Health Institute.

Like the planet, the organism also suffers from the effects of the climate crisis. And it accuses the consequences of extreme weather events or air pollution, among other factors. This emergency translates, directly, into disorders such as respiratory or cardiovascular. But it also has side effects, damages that have to do, for example, with mental health, says Cristina O'Callaghan, researcher at ISGlobal, a center promoted by Caixa.

We need "a paradigm shift" , global plans that "minimize the impacts" of climate change on health, experts claim. And they can't wait anymore.

These are some of the problems that relate to the effects of climate change on health:

Allergies

The increase in average temperatures on the planet's surface is intensifying and prolonging pollination times. Often, this phenomenon occurs in periods of low rainfall and in areas with significant levels of environmental pollution; a cocktail that is causing a significant increase in the incidence and intensity of different allergies. The latest forecasts indicate that, in 2030, one in four Spaniards will have developed an allergy to pollen.

Heat waves

Extreme temperatures, which are manifested in cold or heat waves, have a multiple impact on human health. First, because they can be determinants of basic needs, such as access to water and food. But it is also shown that they are associated with an increase in mortality due to their direct effects on health. The elderly, children and people with previous pathologies are especially vulnerable.

Maternity

Different studies have shown that exposure to air pollution during the gestation period is associated with low birth weight and intrauterine growth retardation. Just a few days ago, a study published in The Lancet magazine pointed out that climate change is already damaging children born today and will mark the health of an entire generation.

Heart

A sedentary lifestyle, poor diet or stress are often cited as factors that increase the chances of suffering from a cardiovascular problem, such as heart attacks. However, pollution also contributes to this risk. Exposure to air of poor quality causes oxidative stress, systemic inflammation and various damages in the blood vessels that, together, alter the proper functioning of the body's motor .

Lungs

Air pollution causes about seven million deaths a year worldwide, according to estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO). Exposure to nitrogen dioxide, suspended particles, tropospheric ozone or sulfur dioxide, among other agents, is directly affecting the occurrence and aggravation of respiratory disorders, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The exacerbation of asthma is one of the main reasons for hospitalization associated with pollution.

Emerging viruses

Chikungunya, dengue, Crimea-Congo ... Until recently, these diseases were truly unknown in Spain. However, the first native cases of some of them have begun to be registered and it is expected that "the majority of vector-borne tropical diseases such as mosquitoes and ticks increase their incidence in Spain," explained researchers at the Carlos III Cristina Linares Health Institute and Julio Díaz. The changes in the climate favor the development and reproduction of the agents that transmit them, such as Aedes albopictus or tiger mosquito.

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