Climate change is one of the main contributors to rising global temperatures. Use of fossil fuels contributes to increased carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. These gases fuel the greenhouse effect that the National Resources Defense Council describes as “the natural warming of the earth that results when gases in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun that would otherwise escape into space.”

With colder temperatures in winter in the Northern Hemisphere, the body’s immune system has a harder time fighting off viral infections like colds and influenza.

Rising temperatures make humans more susceptible to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Extended exposure to heat can lead to dehydration that inhibits the body’s ability to maintain its normal temperature through perspiration. Heat stroke occurs when the body overheats and is unable to cool down. The inability to regulate the body’s internal temperature damages the organ systems and can lead to death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States averages around 702 heat-related deaths per year. The CDC considers these deaths to be generally “preventable.” Since 1980 global heat-related deaths have increased 74 percent. That increase is associated with global warming trends.

High temperatures can also pose health threats through excessive rainfall. Rising air temperatures lead to warming of oceans and other bodies of water. Warmer oceans increase the amount of water that evaporates leading to more frequent and more intense periods of precipitation, through either rain or snow.

Rising temperatures lead to floods

In North Carolina excessive rain from tropical storms has its greatest impacts on the eastern coast and in towns around the state’s coastal wetlands. Flooding poses threats to the state’s agricultural sector with flooding destroying crops and, in some cases, washing out local farmland. Floodwater also can contain a slew of trash and pollutants that can threaten human and animal health.

Excessive rain can overwhelm drainage and sewer systems leading treatment plants to discharge untreated waste. Additionally, power outages caused by flooding can disable wastewater treatment facilities

More rain and warmer temperatures foster higher humidity, resulting in worsening of allergies and respiratory issues like asthma. “Higher temperatures and humidity can exacerbate poor indoor air quality and result in excess moisture, dampness and mold in a home. These conditions can trigger respiratory illnesses, like asthma and increase susceptibility to heat-related illnesses,” according to the North Carolina Climate Risk Assessment and Resilience Plan.

Intense heat brought on by global warming fosters brush fires, larger wildfires, and increased exposure to pollutants. When fires occur, they release large amounts of smoke and other pollutants into the air. Small particles called particulate matter can enter people’s lungs worsening breathing problems, and in some cases, causing irreversible damage to the lungs.