The Paradox of Cold-Related Deaths: Delving into the Silent Menace

If the predominance of cold- over heat-related deaths seems counterintuitive, it’s helpful to consider how cold temperatures affect the human body. The impact of cold weather on mortality rates during winter months is well established. In recent years, the United States has experienced a higher death rate of 8 to 12 percent more during winter compared to non-winter months. This increase can be attributed, in part, to the proliferation of respiratory diseases in colder weather. Additionally, pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular conditions are aggravated by the drop in temperatures.[1] Our bodies, in general, tend to react negatively to the cold, leading to decreased blood circulation and an increased risk of heart attacks.[2]


Vulnerable Populations and Occupations

Populations that are already vulnerable suffer the worst impact, including infants, the elderly, and the infirm. Moreover, individuals who spend a significant amount of time outdoors are also susceptible to cold-related maladies or death. This includes agricultural workers, construction workers, electrical and pipeline utility workers, and those without permanent homes.[3] Notably, people finding themselves in cold water are especially at risk, as the body loses heat 25 times faster in water than in the air.[4]


The Hidden Peril: Unveiling the Risks of Moderately Cold Weather

Cold-related deaths often occur in weather that may not be considered extreme. Surprisingly, even 50-degree temperatures (F) can push vulnerable individuals into a life-threatening crisis. To understand this, we must consider a human’s normal core temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). When the core temperature drops just a few degrees, reaching 95 F (35 C), hypothermia can result. This critical threshold highlights the broad geographical distribution of cold-related deaths, which can happen anywhere when the weather becomes even moderately cold. In contrast, heat-related deaths primarily occur during severe heat waves, which are infrequent.[5] Our bodies are seemingly designed to cope reasonably well with hot weather, but not with cold.

Click here, to read more about this article.

Click here, to read more blogs in Gospel for Asia.Net

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Our Attitude Towards Suffering

Image
In 2 Timothy 2:3, the Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “Join with me in suffering, like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” Everyone, at some point or another, faces suffering, the soldier especially. However, it is not so much what we suffer, but how we suffer that matters. The way our heart responds to suffering is crucial, because by it we will either advance or become stagnant. To suffer like a good soldier is to willingly endure all for the sake of the call. To suffer like a bad soldier is to grumble when difficult situations and hardship arise. Instead of throwing our lives into what God has called us to, we can try to hold on to our lives, wanting to get away with as little suffering as possible, paying as little price as possible. We have forgotten that we are under the orders of our Master and that we willingly gave up our lives. Christ’s Example of Suffering Christ lived with the expectation of suffering. Throughout the Gospels, He repeatedly referred to ...
Read more

What Is the Poverty Cycle?

Image
The question, “What is the poverty cycle, or cycle of poverty?” is one that must be answered to address and end poverty across the globe. Put simply, the term refers to the trend where the vicious effects of poverty and deprivation pass from one generation to the next, with no seeming way out. [1] Someone born into poverty has fewer opportunities than their wealthier peers. They must focus on survival above all, leaving little room for anything else. One illness can wipe out a family’s savings, but the unclean water sources and lack of protection available to them invite sickness. Walking to retrieve water can be time-consuming yet must be a daily priority, and many children must work alongside their parents for the family to afford food. Thus, school is often a far-off dream. Having had few opportunities to acquire skills, the kids grow up to repeat the cycle of poverty with their own children. This story was all too familiar for Nalah. His father worked in the tea fields, trying to e...
Read more

Where Can I Learn How to Break the Cycle of Poverty?

Image
There are many methods for how to break the cycle of poverty which one can learn about. From education assistance to income-generating gifts like sewing machines or farm animals, there is hope for families who have been poor for generations. GFA World works in communities in all these ways through sponsorships and gift distributions, and one by one, we see lives changed as families escape poverty. Raina’s life had been dominated by poverty. She was part of a highly underprivileged people group that faced discrimination and deprivation from others in the region. Despite that, Raina had been able to attend school up until tenth grade, but she discontinued her education when it became too much for her parents to afford. Rather than receiving her certificates of completion, she had to join her parents in the field to earn money to put food on the table. After she married Ander, Raina continued to work in the fields to supplement his income with her own. In search of better job opportunitie...
Read more