Environmental factors that impact health

Environmental health is a branch of public health that studies the natural and man-made aspects of the environment that affect human health. Public health protection is another term for environmental public health. Despite the similarities between environmental health and environmental protection, environmental protection entails protecting natural surroundings in order to protect human health and ecosystems, whereas environmental health focuses on both natural and artificial environments in order to nourish human health. The work of researchers in this subject is unavoidable since it ensures that dangerous exposures to the natural environment, such as water, soil, food, and air, are kept to a minimum.According to a report from World Health Organization 2016, environmental health looks at all chemical, physical and biological attributes that are external to an individual and impact his behavior. Environmental health aims to prevent diseases as well as promoting health awareness environment. There are five disciplines that are established under environmental health with a different contribution towards a solution to environmental health. This discipline includes toxicology, environmental epidemiology, environmental engineering, exposure science and environmental health.

Introduction

There are a number of environmental factors that impact health. Examples of such factors are activities such as burning of fossil fuels such as gas and coal which produce high amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2) that has a direct impact on life within the atmosphere. Emission of CO2 causes an increase in atmospheric temperature commonly known as global warming. The global warming effect caused by erosion of the ozone layer traps heat into the atmosphere that destroys many of the interconnected systems of the environment. This paper provides an analysis of the environmental factors that impact health and my role in eliminating or improving environmental barriers to health.

Synopsis

This article talks about how environmental factors affect health through the several changes in climatic conditions such as extreme heat events, change in moisture, heat and wind patterns due to high temperatures, heating of air. These climatic changes pose a high risk to the community we live regardless of age, economic resources and location of an individual. Some of the effects that are related to this climatic exchange include drought, floods, hurricanes and malnourished people. In many cases, they disperse the population or may lead to death due to health-related problems.

To eradicate this environmental health related problems we need as a community to step up and come together as an individual cannot solve the problem by himself. Hence it is a societal problem that can be addressed by ensuring preparedness in future for any climatic changes. This can be dealt with by having programs that are researched based to make sure that all the climatic changes are looked upon individually, and campaign awareness is initiated by researchers to ensure implementation of the set strategies to eliminate these environmental problems in the society (Snair, Wizemann, Altevogt, Institute of Medicine (U.S.), & Disaster Research Response Workshop, 2015).

Environmental factors that impact health

The major environmental factors that influence health are climate change as well as artificial and natural health stressors; they affect human health together with the disease-causing organism in significant ways. Some health threats are intensified by this factors leading to the development of new health problems. The risk that is posed by these changes vary due to economic resources, age, and location (Snair et al., 2015). Some of these climatic changes have led to thousands of malnourished people, droughts, and flood, severe weather events like hurricanes that destroy a whole city. Below we shall look at various aspects of these climatic changes that affect our health. When climate changes, it can intensify and increase the frequency of extreme heat events that affect human health. It is evident when there is the temperature of the ocean, as well as atmosphere, is related to climate changes in moisture, heat, and wind circulation patterns. In case these changes happen it causes shifts in extreme weather events that are extreme heat event. The extreme temperatures are dangerous to health and sometimes can lead to death. In many cases, it results in more hospital hospitalization due to heat-related diseases and respiratory disorders as well as cardiovascular. It can trigger conditions related to heat stress like heat stroke. Heat stroke occurs due to inability to control body temperature. It can result in death or permanent disability if not given immediate attention as an emergency. It is found in small children, outdoor workers, the elderly, people with some chronic diseases, low-income population. Another health effect due to extreme heat is a respiratory disease. Due to increase in temperature harmful air pollutants accumulate in the environment. For instance, many cities across U.S have experienced this calamity that has led to high death during the heat waves. These cities include Philadelphia, Chicago and St. Luis.

Secondly, climatic change can also affect human health by polluting the air we breathe. It is caused by increased temperatures that result in a high rate of allergens together with contaminated air. For example, longer warm season means a longer pollen season that increases asthma episodes and allergic sensitizations thereby reducing meaningful work. Sometimes climatic changes associated with high temperatures can result in erosion in the ozone. According to National Climate Assessment, air pollution as a result of climatic changes such as increasing greenhouse effect and air pollution in some location may lead to numerous health risks and concerns (National Research Conference on Children’s Environmental Health, & Children’s Environmental Health Network, 1997). Air pollution is related to various health problems like lung malfunction, emergency visits by the asthmatic patient, increased hospital admission and high rate of premature deaths.

Finally, climate change also affects human health through safety and quality of both our domestic and recreational water. When the temperature in the atmosphere rises, it leads to an increase in temperature in oceans as well as lakes. Increase in temperature creates a conducive habitat for harmful microorganism and algae to grow. Sometimes this changes results to heavy precipitation and floods. The flood water can be contaminated as an aftermath of the destruction of sewage treatment system that spills contaminated water with flood water hence a high-risk exposure to parasites, bacteria as well as other unhealthy pollutants. Therefore, floods and warmer water condition attribute to many environmental health issues like marine bacteria which thrive better in oceans warm water. Marine bacteria cause sickness in human life. For instance, Vibrio parahaemolyticus is associated with diarrhea diseases that are related to consumption of raw oysters from the Gulf of Mexico. Another one is Naegleria fowleri which is a microbe that is found in warm freshwater and soil. It infects an individual when the contaminated water gets into the body through the nose. Flood water contains diseases carrying organisms such as bacteria, parasites, and viruses. Besides, it can be polluted agricultural waste, chemicals, and raw sewage. It can also cause the growth of mold and can be inhaled thereby leading to respiratory problems (National Research Conference on Children’s Environmental Health, & Children’s Environmental Health Network, 1997).

My role in improving or eliminating environmental barriers to health

We are all responsible for ensuring a safer and healthier human being so that we manage the prejudice associated with the environment. Among that action that I can partake as a measure to reduce future climatic changes or a solution to the health impacts due to climate change, early action is the best in satisfying, healthy human being. That is why it is important to ensure preparedness programs are put in place. For example, to reduce global warming means we have to eliminate the amount CO2 released in the atmosphere hence improving the well-being of human beings. Therefore, activities that promote less emission of CO2 shall prevent health problems that are related to climatic changes. Modes of transport like cycling and walking can be implemented to reduce air pollution as well as promote physical fitness that contributes public health positively by reducing rates of obesity and diabetes (Carlson-Finnerty, 1994). Hence, to improve or eliminate climatic changes that lead to adverse health effects I need to:

To have a preparedness awareness by my community in the present and future climatic changes.

It can be implemented by initiating programs that address climatic sensitization about water quality as seen in cities like Philadelphia and Chicago that grow plants that efficiently absorb water (Snair, Wizemann, Altevogt, Institute of Medicine & Disaster Research Response Workshop, 2015). Some of these sensible strategies, I should soldier in my community to avoid health issue include: public health agencies continuously carry out a test on both domestic and recreational water to determine harmful contaminants. Health officials’ tracking disease rates with the view of reducing risk to the community, local authority agencies assisting in managing storm water as well as drinking water quality and public health developing as well as implementing climate adaption plans.

Secondly, the management of health-related problems such as quality of air can be achieved by ensuring the society adopts a variety of approaches that include ensuring that people affected by pollen allergies have limited physical activities during the days that we have increased pollen counts. Establishing transport together with a land-use plan that incorporates efficient modes of transport to ensure fewer miles covered and lower traffic-based air pollution (Carlson-Finnerty, 1994). Develop agency that tracks and monitor the relationship between air pollution in different states in the United States.

Finally, to ensure that extreme heat events are managed in my society. We are going to adopt heat wave early system detector to prevent an adverse effect by communicating any possible risk associated with the heat wave as well as protection activities that are available. I shall ensure that air-conditioning is installed in all private and public areas to protect people in extreme heat. Ensure that I stay hydrated and avoiding strenuous outdoor activities whenever we have heat alerts in my community. Ensuring that buildings codes and landscape law have the high energy efficiency to improve the ability of the building to encourage protection during extreme weather such as roofs with plant cover as well as strategically placed shade trees to improve building’s energy efficiency. Finally, ensuring urban forest are protected against encroachment by the urban settlement to reduce the effects of global warming (Carlson-Finnerty, 1994).

Summary and Conclusion

It is evident that all health-related issues are facilitated by climatic changes in our society. Thereby it is our initiative that can protect us from the health-related problems as a result of climatic changes. It is a problem that the community has to address in unison to ensure safety by establishing programs that prevent any treat associated to health problems as a result of climatic change. Nevertheless, it is human activities that contribute to the climatic changes by emitting CO2 into the atmosphere that attributes to environmental health problems. Therefore, establishing environmental protection policy is paramount to reduction to health-related problems to human beings.

References

Carlson-Finnerty, L. V. (1994). Environmental health. New York: Chelsea House.

National Research Conference on Children’s Environmental Health, & Children’s Environmental Health Network. (1997). 1st National Research Conference on Children’s Environmental Health: Research practice prevention policy: conference report. Emeryville, CA: Children’s Environmental Health Network/Public Health Institute.

Snair, M. R., Wizemann, T. M., Altevogt, B. M., Institute of Medicine (U.S.), & Disaster Research Response Workshop. (2015). Enabling rapid and sustainable public health research during disasters: Summary of a joint workshop by the Institute of Medicine and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.