Pulmonary & Respiratory Medicine

The Effect of Climate Change on Respiratory Diseases

Abstract

Cassidy Connolly, Rachel Day* and Hayley Goodall

Climate change and the associated decrease in air quality have led to profound effects on the widespread presence of respiratory diseases and allergens. Urbanized lifestyles and growing transportation emissions have shown to have a negative impact on the environment. Predominantly, increased average temperatures, CO2 and NO emissions, allergen and mold production, harsh weather conditions and Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) release from vegetation. Based on a review of past literature; the present study provides an overview of the link between the prevalence of respiratory diseases and allergies in response to anthropogenic factors that have induced global climate change. There are an abundance of factors that are contributing to climate change that can be correlated to respiratory diseases and allergies. Respiratory disorders that correspond to climate change include: allergic respiratory disorders, asthma, exacerbations of chronic obstructive lung disease, and decrease in lung function. Increase in vehicle emissions over the years has been shown to have a direct relationship with respiratory allergies. Increase in respiratory allergies has also been linked to people who live in industrialized areas. These results indicate that climate change is affecting the respiratory health of a wide variety of people. There are many disorders, including an increase in allergies and different diseases that correspond to climate change and the factors causing climate change. This information is important and very relevant due to the drastic changes that have happened to our Earth in the past 10 years. In the past 10 years carbon dioxide emissions have increased 10%, sea levels have risen 1.6 inches, and average temperature has increased by 0.22 degrees Celsius.