A natural disaster can almost destroy the structure of a place, from infrastructure to people’s lives. It creates a severe threat to life, heart health, risk of cardiac emergencies, etc. There are short-term ramifications with respect to health complications, and damage to the health service system has long-term consequences as well. So, the need for healthcare services, rescue teams, etc, is very high.
This blog explains the impact of natural disasters on health, specifically discussing heart issues and preventive tips.
What are Natural Disasters?
Natural disaster, any event causing mass destruction and/or loss of human life because of the emergency involved. This can arise from weather-related events like earthquakes, landslides, and other events at the surface or in the Earth’s body. They often affect resources, cause loss of life, and disrupt the proper functioning of society. Thus creating an imbalance in life, along with a need for higher safety and healthcare services.
How is climate change affecting health?
Food Shortages
A short-term impact of natural disasters can lead to a longer problems in food supplies. The emergency is disrupting supplies and logistics, but the damage caused to farms and production plants also ignites food shortages.
Mental Health Problems
The trauma of the disaster also creates several mental health problems. Immediate mental health impacts include shock and mourning, but long-term impacts include homelessness, business damage, and loss of life. This, in turn, can create long-term mental health impacts like traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, loneliness, struggles, etc.
Injuries
In natural disasters, injuries are common and must be addressed. They can be caused by earthquakes cause larger injuries, followed by other events: tsunamis, wildfires, floods, etc. Depending on how much local disaster-injured infrastructure, there may be a need for public health workers to address people.
Chronic Disease
Some natural disasters present a high injury rate, but many of them cause damage to infrastructure, resulting in significant challenges for patients with chronic disease. Patients suffering from diabetes, renal disease, lung infections, etc, require continuous care and are the first affected.
Physiological stress response
A natural disaster causes a physiological stress response. Hyper-stress leads to an increase in anxiety, blood pressure, heart rate, etc. Also, stress alone can trigger heart attacks, especially in those with pre-existing heart-related health concerns.
Different Types of Disasters and Their Impact on Heart Health.
- Earthquakes
Earthquakes are natural disasters caused when the underground plates shift, resulting in shaking of surfaces of the Earth. This causes the fall of buildings, breaks in the earth’s surface, etc.
Earthquakes have been associated with specific heart diseases, like sudden cardiac arrest, fatal myocardial infarction, mental stress, heart failure, stroke, dysrhythmias, tension, etc. All these require immediate healthcare services, but with huge destruction, people lose their lives.
- Meteorological
A cyclone is a storm system not restricted by a front with spirals of strong winds, with additional nomenclature. Authors and researchers define cyclone in many forms, but regardless of terminology, research indicates the communities affected by disaster had minimal self-perception of health risk, yet education on health risks are necessary.
Cyclones have a potential impact on heart health. Directly, it causes stress, physical trauma, healthcare disturbance, exacerbations of existing conditions, and indirectly, problems more related to access to healthcare, and the exacerbation of a chronic cardiovascular health risk. While the acute effects may be visible, the chronic effects of cyclones on heart health may persist for weeks to months to years, thereby continuing to negatively impact the long-term displaced.
- Hydrological
Floods are caused by extreme rises in water levels due to factors such as storms, rising sea levels, monsoons, snow melts, etc. The immediate cause of flooding includes the rise in heart attacks and injuries sustained from the high-water event, while the indirect impacts include the previous heart conditions that can contribute to respiratory problems, mental health, etc.
Threats to health are related to cold, flooding waters, including the risk of hypothermia, which can be detrimental to those with heart issues. Added stress maximizes the workload of a person’s heart, thus compounding the potential for morbidity and mortality. All of these are concerning for preexisting heart conditions or the increased potential for new cardiovascular events to occur.
How to protect your health?
- Natural disasters are uncertain and can occur at any time, but in some locations they are often. You’d want to know about these specific disasters and be prepared.
- In planning for a natural disaster, if you have to evacuate your home, carry medications or even empty pill bottles, it is helpful for doctors in the treatment.
- When evacuating, use a waterproof bag for medicines to easily carry and avoid damage. They are liable to be useful urgently.
- Be aware of safe route evacuations, and know where the shelters are, be connected with your family, and practice the plan of safety.
- Disasters can be stressful. They are difficult, but try to stay calm, ask for support from family and neighbors, and be supportive with the resume team.
All these simple yet effective tips are very helpful in times of disaster, and most importantly, they save your lives.
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