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Global Climate Change and Its Impacts

rized by severity into prodromal heat stroke, mild heat stroke, and severe heat stroke. When
the human body is exposed to high-temperature environments for prolonged periods, leading
to significant loss of fluids and electrolytes, prodromal heat stroke may occur, manifesting
as thirst, dizziness, and fatigue. If no timely interventions are implemented, the condition
may progress to mild heat stroke with symptoms including elevated body temperature, facial
flushing, and profuse sweating. Heat stroke (specifically sunstroke) within the severe catego-
ry represents an extremely dangerous condition where patients’ body temperature can rapidly
rise above 40℃ , accompanied by consciousness impairment and convulsions, exhibiting ex-
tremely high mortality rates without prompt treatment. Beyond heat stroke, heat cramps and
heat exhaustion are also common occurrences. Heat cramps primarily result from electrolyte
imbalances caused by excessive sweating, leading to painful muscle spasms. Heat exhaus-
tion manifests as dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and hypotension due to peripheral blood vessel
dilation and insufficient circulatory blood volume in high-temperature environments.
In terms of population susceptibility, elderly individuals, children, pregnant women,
and people with chronic diseases exhibit significantly poorer tolerance to heatwaves, making
them high-risk groups. Elderly people experience declining physical functions, weakened
thermoregulatory capacity, and reduced cardiovascular adaptation to high temperatures,
making them more prone to heat-related illnesses during heatwaves with often more severe
conditions. Children’s thermoregulatory systems are not fully developed, and their heat
dissipation capacity is relatively weak, making them highly vulnerable in high-temperature
environments. Pregnant women become more sensitive to heat due to increased metabolic
demands and relatively higher baseline body temperature. For individuals with cardiovas-
cular diseases, during heatwaves, their cardiacIncreased workload, vasodilation, and blood
pressure fluctuations make them prone to cardiovascular events such as myocardial infarc-
tion and arrhythmias. For individuals with respiratory diseases, high temperatures can cause
dryness of the respiratory mucosa and impaired respiratory function, exacerbating their con-
ditions.
From the perspective of the public health system, during heatwaves, the number of peo-
ple seeking medical treatment for heat-related illnesses significantly surges, placing tremen-
dous pressure on hospital emergency departments. Medical resources in hospitals, including
healthcare personnel, beds, and medications, are put under severe strain. Medical staff must
work overtime to fully treat patients, experiencing dramatic increases in workload and stress.
The shortage of beds may prevent some patients from receiving timely and proper care, af-
fecting treatment outcomes. Simultaneously, the demand for medications will substantially
rise, particularly for drugs related to temperature reduction, electrolyte replenishment, and
treatment of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. Furthermore, the chronic health dam-
age caused by prolonged exposure to high-temperature environments cannot be overlooked.
Persistent heat exposure places continuous stress on the cardiovascular system, leading to
damage to vascular endothelial function and increased risks of cardiovascular diseases. In

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