One of the consequences of climate change and the more frequent and intense heat waves will affect the main economic sector of the south and southeast of the peninsula, tourism. The scientist from the Carlos III Health Institute, Cristina Linares, assures that southern Spain “is turning into a desert” and that this in the turismo “it will have very important consequences” since tourists are already moving further to the north of the peninsula in summer. “In the south and in the interior it will be impossible to be, you’ll burn,” he says. The climate of North Africa, she warns, is what will be in areas like Andalusia, and the Costa Blanca, for now, is saved “by being more flexible temperatures.” “People will tend to go north to rest better, since it is impossible to sleep in the south or in the interior”.
more anxiety
But not only the experts warn of a tourist problem, there is going to be a increase in anxietynervousness, irascibility. These are the consequences that heat waves are bringing as intense as the ones we have suffered in Spain this summer, according to alert scientists from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), the public research body that promotes, finances and manages biomedical and health in the country. There is a relationship between the increase in mental health problems and the climate crisis.
This is what the scientist Cristina Linares, who participated in a conference in Elche dedicated to the cities of the future and to reflect on the climate emergency in cities, warns Information, from the Prensa Ibérica group. “Imagine that at night you cannot sleep because there is a very high minimum temperature, because all that fatigue accumulates day after day and makes the psychological state of people changes“, explains the scientist. Thus, people become more irascible and have anxiety problems because fatigue accumulates and It can even lead to a psychotic break.alert Linares.
Concern
Climate change is a very worrying thing. And it is that, according to the scientists of the Carlos III Health Institute, the extreme temperatures that we have experienced this summer are those that were expected for 2032, so the climate emergency has already been brought forward by a decade. Heat waves are seriously affecting health and the biggest example is this summer, where there were extreme temperatures and 42 days of heat waves. In fact, the number of deaths attributable to the temperatures multiplied almost four times, from 1,300 that were being registered on average, to 4,500. “Thermal extremes cost lives“warns another of the ISCIII scientists, Julio Díaz, who also took part in the conference in Elche.
In Japan and the US there are studies linking heat waves to a greater number of suicides, they warn. “If you are a person who is already decompensated because you have a mental illness or take medication that alters your sweating mechanisms, which makes you not thirsty and you almost have to be reminded to drink so as not to get dehydrated, all of this alters your internal mechanisms and can lead you to to a psychotic break, is to be taken very seriously”, says Cristina Linares.
Alcoholism
Even, explains Linares, they are noticing in hospitals a increase in people suffering from alcoholism. “When temperatures rise, people also consume more alcohol, with a risk of abuse,” warns the scientist. In addition, mental problems such as anxiety and post-traumatic stress also suffer from those who experience extreme weather events, such as floods, or even storms.
“Let’s start putting tools, let’s move on to action against climate change, we don’t start making action plans despite already knowing its consequences”
scientific
“Let’s start putting tools, let’s move on to action against climate change, we don’t start making action plans despite already knowing its consequences on health,” laments Linares.
even, they are increasing the traffic accidents in periods of heat waves because people rest much worse and drive with fewer reflexes and more nervousness. This has been detected by experts from the Carlos III Health Institute. “The Iberian Peninsula suffers from everything, because as soon as we get wet and cold Atlantic weather or the polar vortex, as dry air loaded with Saharan dust particles enters us, we are going to have to adapt to extreme situations,” he points out. the scientific.
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High temperatures exacerbate diseases already present, warns Julio Díaz. “A person who has a neurological disease is especially at risk because their hypothalamus does not have a sensation of heat and, therefore, does not have that need to hydrate, or an older person may have a ruptured artery because one of the key mechanisms for fight against the increase in temperature is the dilation of the same, or the kidney or cardiovascular problems“explains the scientist.
In fact, the majority of deaths during heat waves are not caused by heat stroke, “that’s a small percentage,” he points out, but by high temperatures precipitate the symptoms of pathologies already present and those who suffer from them die for it. And, be careful, because global warming is raising maximum temperatures above expectations.