{"id":2750,"date":"2026-06-23T12:09:11","date_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:09:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=2750"},"modified":"2026-06-23T12:09:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-23T12:09:11","slug":"the-health-risks-of-extreme-heat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/reliablemovingcrews.com\/?p=2750","title":{"rendered":"The health risks of extreme heat"},"content":{"rendered":"
June 23 (Reuters) – The world is baking under extreme heat, with Europe, Asia and parts of the U.S. all dealing with scorching temperatures.<\/div>

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH RISKS?<\/h2>
Heat affects health in several ways.<\/div>
Heat exhaustion, which can include dizziness, headaches, shaking \u200band thirst, can affect anyone, and is usually not serious, provided the person cools down within 30 minutes.<\/div>
The \u200cmore serious condition is heatstroke, when the body’s core temperature goes above 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 degrees Celsius). It is a medical emergency and can lead to long-term organ damage and death. Symptoms include rapid breathing, confusion or seizures, and nausea.<\/div>

WHO IS AT RISK?<\/h2>
Some people are more vulnerable, including young \u200bbabies and older people, as well as people who must stay active or are more exposed, such as homeless \u200bpeople.<\/div>
Existing conditions, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, as well as diabetes, can also heighten risk \u2060and be exacerbated by heat.<\/div>
Globally, just under half a million deaths a year are estimated to be due to excess \u200bheat, according to a 2021 study in The Lancet, although data is lacking from many low-income countries. A study focused on 854 European \u200bcities found climate change was responsible for 68% of the 24,400 estimated heat deaths in 2025 as temperatures increased by up to 3.6 C.<\/div>
“Heat waves are a silent and invisible killer. We don’t often see the impact that they have had on human health until the mortality statistics are published \u200bmany months later,” said Professor Liz Stephens, a researcher in climate risk and resilience at Britain’s University of Reading.<\/div>

LESS OBVIOUS RISKS<\/h2>
Air \u200bpollution also poses a health risk, with serious potential effects from wildfire smoke, including inflammation and tissue damage.<\/div>
Heat also can lead to low \u200cbirthweight and \u2060premature birth for pregnant women and babies, a number of studies have shown.<\/div>

TIMING MATTERS<\/h2>
Experts say more deaths occur earlier in the summer when people’s bodies have not had chance to acclimatize.<\/div>
Location matters, too; people are at higher risk in places where they are not used to such heat, including parts of Europe.<\/div>
However, there are limits, and people all around the world are at \u200brisk in extremely hot weather \u200bcaused by climate change, \u2060particularly those who must continue to work in physical jobs.<\/div>
“It is more important than ever that we put in place measures to limit the harm on our health,” said Dr. Modi Mwatsama, head of \u200bcapacity at Wellcome, a London-based global health charity. She said this ranged from providing shade and \u200bpainting buildings white \u2060to investing in early-warning systems for climate-sensitive infectious diseases, like cholera.<\/div>

WHAT YOU CAN DO<\/h2>
Several European countries including Italy, France and Spain have issued advisories as temperatures soar to dangerous levels across the continent. Spain’s weather agency also warned that outdoor activity during the hottest \u2060part of \u200bthe day could pose significant health risks, particularly for older adults and \u200bpeople with underlying medical conditions.<\/div>
Scientists have urged workers to take more frequent breaks and adjust their clothing, while advising people to check on older and isolated \u200bindividuals, warning that heatstroke is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment.<\/div>