Would you recognize the symptoms of heat stroke if you were suffering from it? More importantly, would your doctor?
The answer may be, “no”. And delays in even the simplest of treatments to help reverse the effects of heat-related illnesses can mean the difference between life and death.
Illnesses like heat stroke and heat exhaustion occur when body temperatures fluctuate by even a few degrees above 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and the body is unable to properly cool itself. As average temperatures rise due to climate change, the human body is even more at risk from suffering symptoms of illnesses related to the heat.
Currently, there are no medical tests that allow the easy diagnosis of heat-related illnesses. Complicating this even further is that many of the symptoms that victims present with – fever, mental confusion, nausea and vomiting, headaches – can be easily misdiagnosed as infection, coronary complication or even drug reaction, to name a few.
Historically, researchers of heat-related illnesses have focused their efforts on controlled studies measuring the biomarkers of athletes and those in the military. The characteristics of this sample, however, do not match those of the general population who may not be properly conditioned for even the slightest of physical and emotional endurance during extreme heat events. A recent report by the CDC revealed that from May to September of 2023 "...rates of emergency department visits for heat-related illness substantially increased across several U.S. regions compared with previous years, especially among males and adults aged 18–64 years."
According to the NOAA’s 2023 Global Climate Report, last year was the warmest on record since 1850 and 10 of the warmest years have occurred within the last decade alone. A report by Climate Central showed that 3.8 billion people around the world were exposed to extreme heat in 2023 with 86 days of average individual exposure to “health-threatening high temperatures”.
The medical community and policymakers must get ahead of this critical public health threat before it gets worse. We can start by examining the biomarkers of the people who are most likely to suffer from heat-related illnesses, including children and the elderly, outdoor workers, and underserved communities.
But this kind of research does not come without a cost. Individuals and organizations who have their eye on climate change must make funding available to study the impact on healthcare in addition to measures that slow global warming.
To learn more about how you can help fund Emergency Medicine research, click here.
Rahul Sharma is Barbara and Stephen Friedman Professor of Emergency Medicine and chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine and the Founder and executive director of the Center for Virtual Care at Weill Cornell Medicine. He also serves as the emergency physician-in-chief at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, and as the chief and medical director for the New York-Presbyterian Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Enterprise.
