Southeast Asia, Faces Both Increased , Pollution and Temperatures.
NBC reports that the combination of a brutal
heat wave and concerning levels of air
pollution has struck Southeast Asia. .
According to experts, the combo
has the potential to make an already
dangerous situation even deadlier.
In the past week,
both Vietnam and Laos
have recorded all-time highs. .
NBC reports that thick smog combined with
high temperatures can result in an increase in
respiratory, cardiovascular and kidney diseases.
When you have both these exposures
— and especially extremes of these
exposures — their combined effect
is more than the sum of their parts, Erika Garcia, environmental epidemiologist at the University
of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, via NBC.
According to a study published in the 'American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,' a combination of high
temperatures and air pollution increases the risk of death by 21%.
According to a study published in the 'American Journal of
Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,' a combination of high
temperatures and air pollution increases the risk of death by 21%.
Heat will cause the blood vessels
to dilate and air pollution will increase
inflammation in the lungs and throughout
the body, so this can further increase
the risk of heart attacks, strokes
and other cardiovascular events, Rajesh Kumar, project scientist with the National Center
for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, via NBC.
According to Rajesh Kumar, a project scientist with
the National Center for Atmospheric Research in
Colorado, these health impacts present a global concern. .
NBC reports that ongoing greenhouse gas emissions
and more frequent and severe heat waves caused by
global warming could trigger a public health crisis.
There are people who can’t protect
themselves, people who don’t have
air conditioning, people who have to
work outside. There should be an
urgency to help these people, Dr. Wynne Armand, primary care physician
at Massachusetts General Hospital, via NBC