Dear
Bloggers,
As
the Earth warms, heatwaves are expected to occur more often, with sharper
intensity and for longer periods. Rising temperatures adversely affect worker
productivity and human health, but for policymakers to take substantive action
for heat adaptation, making an economic case is key.
The Netherlands was
suffering from its first summer heatwave with the national weather service was
declaring a red alert on Monday for large parts of the provinces of Zeeland,
Noord Brabant and Limburg in the south of the country.
The area reached 33
degrees Celsius in the shade in the late afternoon. In some places the
temperature was approaching 35 degrees by midday.
Other regions in our
country also felt the heat, with my hometown Sneek cooling down to 22 or 23
degrees at night.
Few people were seen
on the streets, while many tried to cool off with fans, umbrellas or water
bottles in the strong sunshine, with more than 30 degrees in the shade.
The daily maximum
temperature of 37 degrees, as announced by the weather forecasts, was to be
reached between 3 pm and 6 pm central European time in the city of Amsterdam.
"You can really
only go out these days after dark, from 10 pm onwards. And even then you're
still sweating," the bars and nightclub owner told me.
"I'm only
outside because the fridge is empty and I mainly need beer." A random
neighbor told me. But in the supermarket, he said, it was "nice and
cool."
Temperatures are
expected to drop slightly from Thursday after peaking on Monday, but the
heatwave will not noticeably subside until next Thursday.
Those that are taking medication
to treat their illnesses are even more vulnerable to extreme heat. Lithium,
used to treat bipolar disorder, can become toxic when patients are dehydrated. Tricyclic
antidepressants can cause excess perspiration, leading to dangerous levels of
dehydration. And clozapine, a powerful antipsychotic used to control
schizophrenia, is anticholinergic, meaning that among other effects it reduces
or stops sweating, the body’s most important defense against overheating. “This
population is the most impaired, but then they’re taking the most high-risk
medication that can further worsen their condition and their ability to
thermoregulate.
That doesn’t mean patients should stop taking the drugs during heat waves, says our psychiatrist: “These are absolutely necessary, lifesaving medications that improve quality of life among people with disorders.”
That means alerting the entire
gamut of social services to risk of heat waves on clients suffering from mental
health disorders. “Knowing that there are going to be periodic heat waves,
[psychiatrists and psychologists] have to actively engage with our patients by
educating them about behavioral ways they can protect themselves,” through
adequate hydration, appropriate clothing, and suitable shelter. For the most
vulnerable—those with severe mental illness—“we need to engage local
organizations and people who are from the community who have established
relationships ahead of time to be able to go in and find Mr. Jones (fictive name),
who we know is vulnerable because of mental illness.”
Now that heat wave season is upon us, I would suggest that care takers should be setting up a climate-focused group therapy. “It gives patients an opportunity to talk about this issue openly so that they’re more aware and know what to do. And if they feel more irritable or psychotic, they can think for themselves, ‘Oh, maybe the climate is affecting my health.’”
Climate change is a health threat. But unlike floods, heat waves are predictable, which means deaths from heat waves should not be.
Stay cool and relax during the
heat.
The Old Sailor,
