Climate Change: MedlinePlus

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Climate change is major change in temperature, rainfall, snow, or wind patterns lasting for many years. It can be caused by natural factors or by human activities. Today climate changes are occurring at an increasingly rapid rate.</p> <p>Climate change can affect our health. It can lead to:</p><ul> <li>More <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/heatillness.html">heat-related illness</a> and deaths</li> <li>More pollen, mold, and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/airpollution.html">air pollution</a>. This can cause an increase in allergies, asthma, and breathing problems.</li> <li>Mosquitoes and other insects that carry diseases spreading to areas that used to be too cold for them.</li> <li>More <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/floods.html">floods</a> and rising sea levels. This can cause an increase in contamination of food and water.</li> <li>More extreme weather events, such as <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/hurricanes.html">hurricanes</a> and <a href="https://medlineplus.gov/wildfires.html">wildfires</a>. These can cause death, injuries, stress, and mental health problems.</li> </ul> <p>Researchers are studying the best ways to lessen climate change and reduce its impact on our health.</p> <p class="attribution">NIH: National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</p></div> </section> <a name="cat_76"></a> <section id="cat_76_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Learn More </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section76" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="45358" >Climate Change and Health</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (World Health Organization)</span> </span> <span class="also-lang"> Also in <a target="TheNewWin2" href="https://www.who.int/es/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-health" data-sid="67406">Spanish</a> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/health-society" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="128901" >Climate Change Indicators: Health and Society</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Environmental Protection Agency)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/understanding-climate/climate-change-annual-greenhouse-gas-index" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="154306" >Climate Change: Annual Greenhouse Gas Index</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/climate-health/php/effects/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="76978" >Climate Effects on Health</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://climatekids.nasa.gov/" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="114176" >Climate Kids</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://downloads.globalchange.gov/Literacy/Climate%20Literacy%20Booklet%20Low-Res.pdf" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="106171" >Climate Literacy</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (U.S. Global Change Research Program)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="114177" >Climate Solutions</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="20" height="16" alt="Video" title="Video" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/videocamera.gif" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (Department of Agriculture)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/climate-change/fast-facts-on-climate-and-health.pdf?sfvrsn=157ecd81_5" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="117152" >Fast Facts on Climate Change and Health</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (World Health Organization)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/energy-and-the-environment/greenhouse-gases.php" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="77019" >Greenhouse Gases</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Department of Energy)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/human-health" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="117153" >Human Health</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (U.S. Global Change Research Program)</span> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.epa.gov/transportation-air-pollution-and-climate-change" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="63048" >Transportation, Air Pollution, and Climate Change</a> <span class="desc-text"> <span class="orgs"> (Environmental Protection Agency)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_27"></a> <section id="cat_27_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Clinical Trials </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section27" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://clinicaltrials.gov/search?cond=%22Climate+Change%22&aggFilters=status:not%20rec" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="87708" data-org="NIH">ClinicalTrials.gov: Climate Change</a> <span class="desc-text"> <img width="25" height="16" alt="From the National Institutes of Health" title="From the National Institutes of Health" src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/nih.png" class="imgdesc"> <span class="orgs"> (National Institutes of Health)</span> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <a name="cat_59"></a> <section id="cat_59_section"> <div class="section"> <div class="section-header"> <div class="section-title"> <h2>Journal Articles <span class="subheading">References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)</span> </h2> </div> <div class="section-button"> <button title="Expand/Collapse section" role="button" aria-controls="section" aria-pressed="true" type="submit"> <span class="icon icon-section-action"></span> </button> </div> <div aria-live="polite" class="sm-live-area hide-offscreen"></div> </div> <div id="section59" class="section-body"> <ul class="bulletlist"> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39579203" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="76915" >Article: Potential impacts to human health from climate change: A comparative life-cycle...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39579176" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="76915" >Article: A narrative review of the current available literature on the intersection...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/39578743" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="76915" >Article: Frontline clinic perspectives on climate change, human health, and resilience: a...</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> <li> <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/?term=%22Climate+Change%22%5Bmajr%3Anoexp%5D+AND+humans%5Bmh%5D+AND+english%5Bla%5D+AND+%22last+1+Year%22+%5Bedat%5D+NOT+%28letter%5Bpt%5D+OR+case+reports%5Bpt%5D+OR+editorial%5Bpt%5D+OR+comment%5Bpt%5D%29+AND+free+full+text%5Bsb%5D+" target="TheNewWin" data-sid="76915" >Climate Change -- see more articles</a> <span class="desc-text"> </span> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> </div> <div class="side"> <aside> <section id="ht-img-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Topic Image</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> <img src="https://medlineplus.gov/images/ClimateChange.jpg" title="Climate Change" alt="Climate Change" /> </div> </div> </section> <section id="primary-institute-section"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>National Institutes of Health</h2> </div> <div class="section-body"> The primary NIH organization for research on <span class="italic">Climate Change</span> is the <a href="http://www.niehs.nih.gov/" target="TheNewWin">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</a> </div> </div> </section> <section id="magazine-box"> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header"> <h2>NIH MedlinePlus Magazine</h2> </div> <div id="more_magazine" class="section-body"> <ul> <li><a data-sid="160390" href="https://magazine.medlineplus.gov/article/hotter-days-put-human-health-at-risk" target="_blank">Hotter Days Put Human Health at Risk</a></li> </ul> </div> </div> </section> <section> <div class="side-section"> <div class="section-header hide-offscreen"> <h2>Disclaimers</h2> </div> <div class="section-body no-header"> 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