Hot temperatures pose deadly risks, specifically for certain groups of people.
Intense heat waves sweeping across various regions globally pose serious health risks for numerous individuals. These conditions can trigger respiratory issues or even premature births and increase the risk of strokes significantly. Medical professionals are urgently pushing for heat-related legislation.
Using a damp handkerchief as a cooling method, as commonly recommended, doesn't offer medical benefits, according to Dr. Oliver Opatz from Charité Berlin. Instead, he finds a fan more helpful during hot spells, and when exploring Africa's scorching temperatures at night, he showers before sleeping, dons linen clothes, and places wet garments in bed. Dr. Opatz's research at Charité Institute of Physiology mainly focuses on understanding how people react to extreme environments such as space, mines, and deserts.
In Berlin, conditions aren't as severe as those in Africa, but climate change is already causing noticeable health issues - Charité's emergency room witnesses this during hot summers. Heat often exacerbates existing health conditions, as explained by Dr. Opatz. People with heart and circulatory problems, kidney diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affects many older smokers, are most at risk.
Breathing Challenges
People suffering from COPD have narrowed airways and typically receive insufficient air. When temperatures soar, the body requires increased effort from the circulatory system while simultaneously making it harder for individuals to breathe. This reduces oxygen supply to organs, making them function even worse, resulting in a vicious circle.
For kidney disease patients, an imbalance in fluid intake can worsen the condition - some drink excessively, while others dehydrate. People with heart and circulatory diseases like heart failure can find it challenging to supply enough blood to organs during the heat.
Stroke Risk Increase
According to the German Neurological Society (DGN), heat also raises the risk for neurological diseases. A study published in the "European Heart Journal" by German neurologists reveals that increasing nighttime heat has led to a significant increase in stroke risk. The number of ischemic strokes - the most common type resulting from disrupted blood supply to the brain - has risen, as have their fatalities.
Another heat-related complication identified by DGN experts is delirium, particularly common in older individuals due to dehydration - often overlooked thirst in older age. This can lead to severe consequences such as falls resulting in bone fractures.
Older individuals face significant heatwave challenges, according to Dr. Opatz. "Older people have a significant problem," he remarks. However, age in years is less critical than biological age. "One becomes old when the body's performance capacity significantly declines. Some become old at 60, while others at 70 or 80. But even a 40-year-old can already breathe heavily like a steam train," Dr. Opatz explains.
For people with chronic neurological conditions, heatwaves can significantly worsen their health, as per DGN experts. They mention migraines, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injuries as examples. People with spinal cord injuries and paralysis often face mobility limitations and impaired body temperature regulation.
Medication Adjustments in the Heat
During his notarial interventions, Dr. Opatz encounters patients whose medication dosages haven't been adjusted for the heat. "We frequently encounter individuals who lose their balance. Their legs swell, their hearts don't pump efficiently, and they struggle with breathing," says Opatz. Ideally, medication and fluid intake should be regularly monitored and adjusted with a general practitioner. However, this isn't possible due to the doctor shortage, reports Dr. Opatz, who also serves as a notary in rural Brandenburg. Apps for smartphones, designed to assist patients in the short term, are currently being developed.
Apart from physical problems, heat also causes psychological issues. "It's problematic when it doesn't cool down properly at night, and people can't sleep and relax," says Opatz. This activates the autonomic nervous system, causing individuals to behave as if in a fight-or-flight mode. "Patience levels decrease, there are more conflicts and violent outbursts," notes Dr. Opatz.
Premature Birth Risks in Heatwaves
Experts also express concern about the impact of summer heat stress on pregnant women. "For every extreme heat day and every additional degree, the risk of premature birth increases by 20%," explains Petra Arck from the University Clinic Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE). A study containing data from over 42,000 pregnant women spanning 20 years found that heat stress at 30 degrees leads to an increase in the relative risk of premature birth by 20%. Several hot days supposedly help mothers adapt, but "if a third, fourth, fifth day without cooling occurs, more premature labor ensues."
According to a report by the Robert Koch Institute from 2023, Germany experiences two to three heatwaves annually. Depending on the progression of global warming, it could increase to four or even six heatwaves per year by the end of the century. The German Weather Service (DWD) defines a heatwave as a series of at least three consecutive days with temperatures above 28 degrees.
June kicked off with a plea for uniform enactment of heat emergency plans across Germany from healthcare representatives. Martin Herrmann, the head of the German Alliance Climate Change and Health (KLUG), warns, "The danger is rapidly escalating and we're largely unprepared for it." The potential risks of high temperatures are so severe that relying on voluntary measures isn't enough. As Herrmann puts it, "What we need are laws."
The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) estimates that around 3200 lives were lost in Germany last year due to heat.
Read also:
- The Robert Koch Institute has reported that Germany experiences an average of two to three heatwaves annually, but with global warming, this could increase to four or six heatwaves per year by the end of the century.
- Heatwaves pose a significant risk to pregnant women, with each extreme heat day and additional degree increasing the risk of premature birth by 20%.
- The German Neurological Society (DGN) has identified delirium as a heat-related complication, particularly common in older individuals due to dehydration, which can lead to severe consequences such as bone fractures.
