We know it kills and we also know how it does it. However, the “hot killer” tends to leave only circumstantial evidence on the victims. Nothing more. This is why we can only make simple estimates of heat-related mortality. “In no death certificate – confirm Graziano Onderdirector of the Department of Cardiovascular, Dysmetabolic and Aging Diseases of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità – we will find written ‘died from the heat. Daily Mortality Surveillance System “, as part of the” National operational plan for the prevention of the effects of heat waves “, released yesterday by the Ministry of Health.
Overwhelmed by the heat: are you sure you are not getting dehydrated?
by Giulia Masoero Regis
“This surveillance system – explains Onder – records the excesses of mortality in a given period of time and we know that in the summer, especially in recent years, there is actually an increase”. In particular, the Ministry of Health reports a 21% increase in mortality in the period between 1 and 15 July. In some cities, the excess of deaths is extraordinary: from + 72% in Latina to + 56% in Bari up to + 52% in Viterbo. “These data do not necessarily tell us that there are more heat deaths in Latina than in Catania,” says Onder. “The excess of mortality – he continues – may also depend on other factors. Certainly the heat has its weight, especially on the elderly population or on fragile subjects. But an increase in mortality in a specific area can also depend on something else. . For example also from Covid “.
What does the changing climate have to do with our health? More than you think
by Donatella Zorzetto
The difficulty of linking deaths to heat is not only Italian. Estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that more than 166,000 people died from heat waves between 1998 and 2017 alone. However, according to experts, the figure should be considered underestimated because there are objective problems in counting all the deaths attributable to the heat. In any case, they are destined to increase over time, not only due to the greater frequency of expected heat waves, but also due to the age of the population.
Older people get dehydrated easily
“The people most affected are usually the elderly because they are the same people who dehydrate more easily,” says Onder. To protect itself from the heat, the body uses sweat, but this loss of fluids must be replenished because dehydration can make us sick, it can cause nausea and headaches, and in severe cases it can cause serious damage to vital organs. “The elderly – explains Onder – on average have a lower perception of thirst. Then there are people who have other health problems that can affect the body’s ability to stay hydrated”. Let’s think about diabetics. In cases of deep dehydration, the cells have less and less water available and the body is unable to expel waste. “There is a progressive loss of consciousness which is followed by death”, stresses Onder. It is above all for these reasons that in heat waves the incidence of deaths linked to cardiovascular and respiratory problems increases.
What does the changing climate have to do with our health? More than you think
by Donatella Zorzetto
Risks can also be important for babies, especially in the first months of life, when their bodies are more exposed to the effects of heat.
After the first signs of heatstroke, the affected person should be moved quickly to a cooler place and help should be called right away. Rehydration by drinking water should be done gradually and with some caution. But, according to experts, the problem should be solved at the root. First of all by countering the phenomenon of global warming, of which man is the main responsible. Then, putting in place a whole series of measures aimed at offering assistance and support to the people most at risk from the heat, especially among those who have socio-economic problems.