Pollen and fires and floods, OH MY!

Published: Wednesday, August 7, 2019

By SARAH MCDANIEL
Times-News Columnist

A few weeks ago, I was installing information about heat safety on a display board. This particular board is in the main entrance of the office building where I work, a sunroom-type area with wall-to-wall windows which causes the space to heat up – much like a greenhouse. As I organized posters and photos, beads of sweat formed on my forehead. The irony of the topic wasn’t lost on me.

On the display, I made sure to include all the familiar recommendations such as wearing appropriate clothing, taking lots of breaks and drinking plenty of water. However, what I didn’t include on that board is just as important. This is bigger than just a few hot days in the summer. Our exposure to prolonged extreme heat is related to extreme weather patterns. And how do we prepare for the trend of increasing temperatures and more frequent heat waves that we have seen over the last several years? How do we keep ourselves safe and healthy as our climate changes over time?

The link between health and the environment is inseparable. When our environment is unhealthy, so too are the people who live in it. And there is more to it than just heat waves that cause heat-related illnesses.

With more extreme weather, we are witnessing increased frequency and severity of heavy downpours, storms and floods that can destroy homes, businesses, crops and livestock (remember Hurricanes Michael and Harvey?). Higher temperatures and changes in rain patterns create a longer and more widespread breeding season for insects, ticks and rodents. People who spend more time outdoors in places where these insects and other disease carriers live are more vulnerable to Zika, dengue and Lyme diseases. In fact, these diseases have tripled in the United States since 2004.

Extreme weather also causes long droughts, which threaten crops and increase our risks of wildfires. The smoke pollutes the air and sends more people to the hospital for asthma, COPD, and heart attacks.

Somewhere in between the floods and the droughts are the “pollen seasons” that seem to be getting worse and worse. In fact, changes in our climate are causing plants to bloom earlier and for longer periods of time. For the thousands residents that suffer from seasonal allergies, symptoms may be getting worse and lasting longer as well.

All these weather events can lead to injury, illness, displacement or even death. But there are many steps that we can take to reduce the severity and effects of extreme weather:

• Monitor the air quality index and stay indoors when pollen counts or ozone levels are high.

• Subscribe to Nixle (sign up at nixle.com), a local system that will alert you to emergency situations like wildfires or flooding in your area.

• If going outside in the heat, wear light-colored and light-weight clothing; take lots of breaks – sitting under a shady tree or in air conditioning when possible. Drink plenty of water.

• When outside, wear sunscreen and insect repellant to minimize risks posed by the sun and insects.

• Call and check on your family, friends and neighbors during extreme heat or a flooding event.

• Offer assistance to others in extreme weather. Whether offering some cold water to drink to a landscaper, opening your air-conditioned office to passersby in need of a break on a hot day, or helping your elderly neighbor move to a safer location ahead of a hurricane, your efforts might be the difference between a weather-related inconvenience for someone, or a life-or-death emergency.

By taking as many of these actions as possible, we are contributing to a resilient community. Whether by paying attention to public health advisories or simply getting to know your next-door neighbor, these small steps will take us a long way. My small step today is sharing this information. Perhaps yours will be giving this article to a friend – or even just by using it as a fan to cool down.

For more information on heat-related illnesses, please visit hendersoncountync.gov/health.

Sarah McDaniel is a public health educator with the Henderson County Department of Public Health. You can reach her at smcdaniel@hendersoncountync.gov.

Copyright © 2019 BlueRidgeNow.com — All rights reserved. Restricted use only.