4 Examples of Environmental Factors That Affect Our Health

The environment we all are living in significantly impacts everyone in many ways. Yet, no one gives much thought to their surroundings and sensitive factors. Meanwhile, everyone seeks out an environment with certain qualities that entail a positive impact on their lives. On the other side, this impact also varies with the severity and medical capability in society. The changing climate of the earth and other issues coming to the mainstream have profoundly increased the importance of environmental factors. Not just human health, but these factors hold the capabilities to affect the whole planet. This detrimental change in the environment is now a prime subject raising tensions in the mainstream media.

Be it the air, water, sunlight, or even poor infrastructure. Environmental disorders affect human health. But why the sudden concern? As the world continues to struggle with the ongoing pandemic still soaring with infection and deaths, professionals are putting the environmental factors upfront for examination. The origin of the pandemic is still unknown to the world. But examining the surrounding factors and their impact can help professionals reduce the risk of another imminent disease. For that, many experts from the environmental engineering and healthcare sectors are reporting how environmental factors influence our health.

Furthermore, there is a huge demand for professionals from both the environmental and healthcare sectors to study the evolution of these factors and devise mitigation plans. Online education made it easy for professionals to choose any degree to enhance their career further. For instance, aspirants can opt for an online MPH to expand their careers and help humanity. With this online degree, they can easily cater to both priorities of a full-time job and education. With that said, let’s discuss four examples of environmental factors that affect our health.

Greenhouse Effect

One of the top environmental factors driving change in our lives and health is the greenhouse effect. The natural process allows the earth’s gases to trap the sunlight in the earth’s atmosphere. This trapped sunlight contributes to various environmental factors like increasing the heat and ensuring a balance in the environment. Being humans, we are the central culprits in shifting our great environmental allies like the greenhouse effect into the long-term risk.

As the temperatures rise to superior levels on earth, the greenhouse leads to extreme climate impacts. These include flooding, hurricanes, and desertification. Moreover, the changing climate is also increasing the risk of planetary disturbance and climate systems. The pollution from the industrial system and its waste also mix the trapped heat, leading to severe respiratory diseases. In 2019, a study revealed that the carbon dioxide levels are exceeding to record high. Moreover, the combination of the gases with heat leads to higher levels of smog and air pollution.

Climate Change and Natural Disaster

As said earlier, the shift in climate change is the main subject around the globe. The main reason behind it is the severe impact on human health. That is why numerous professionals are stepping in to assess the factors that influence the change and results in cascading impact on human health. Think of the weather shifts in the recent year, from the frequency of storms, severity, and the natural phenomena of scorching summer and droughts.

Many experts are revealing that higher level heat will expose people to harmful ozone at the ground level. We may not acknowledge it as sensitive information, but these are high-risk factors. The widespread ground-level ozone leads to severe lung damage that increases asthma cases in both adults and children. Especially, the highly populated and industrial area residents will experience the harmful effects. Moreover, climate change is also enhancing the frequency of natural disasters. The annual wildfires, tornados, rains, and droughts are adding more problems and concerns over securing the lives and health of the people.

Microbial Diseases

While discussing the environmental factors, microbes are never an exception. 2020 has taught us the critical role of micro-life living among us and its impact on our lives. The invisible yet non-living microbe led to the shutdown of the whole world, while the financial projections came to a halt. The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 has increased the importance of microbial diseases and their effect on our health. Not just COVID-19, but there are many other discovered and yet to discover microbes that play some role in our health.

Although not every microbe poses a threat to our health, some of them support the functioning of our body. Meanwhile, the harmful microbes are also named pathogens or germs. These microorganisms can invade the defense systems of our body and infect to cause illness. Both healthcare and microbiologists are working on numerous research to discover harmful microbes to reduce their health effects immediately.

Infrastructure Issues

While discussing the environmental factors, most people blame the natural phenomenon for the strikes on our health. However, it is essential to note that man-made inventions are also key drivers of mainstream issues. The major infrastructure issues like poor roads, lack of access to healthcare, and clean water also impact health. Authorities need to take the right actions to overcome the poor infrastructure and enhance the living lifestyle for the society.

Final Words

Environmental factors are part of life here at the earliest times and will exist in the future. We have seen that their severity is increasing with time with more harmful impacts on human health. There is a dire need for motivation to allow humans to act and reduce these issues. We can contribute best to nature and help to safeguard the local environment.