Heat a killer: kills more Australians annually than road accidents

The Australian summer has been breaking temperature records, with most states recording the highest ever temperatures on record. Temperatures of over 40C, especially the record number of consecutive days over 40C, have been recorded to date in the summer of 2013.

An article in Health & Wellbeing (January 11, 2013) said that heat alone kills more Australians that road accidents. Figures from the government’s Climate Change Health Risk Assessment show that thermal extremes currently contribute to 1,121 deaths a year in major Australian cities. The figure is expected to reach 2,030 by 2020.

Dr. Liz Hanna of the Climate Change Adaptation Research Network – Human Health, at the Australian National University, says Australians vastly over-estimate their ability to cope with heat. She says people begin to feel ill when their body temperature reaches 38 degrees Celsius. Metabolism and moving muscles generate heat and this starts to become difficult when the air temperature rises above 30 degrees, and the human body is compromised when the air temperature reaches 35 degrees. However, the temperature at which people are at risk varies with humidity, their familiarization with hot conditions, and their level of exposure to the heat.

The article says most people cannot sustain physical exercise beyond a few minutes in very high temperatures without experiencing “heat gain” which is when people lose the ability to cool themselves naturally (called thermo-regulate). Heat gain places strain on the heart. Over-heating not only affects the young and elderly (whom are most at risk), but also the young and fit if they are in prolonged conditions or have consumed excessive alcohol or other substances which affect the body’s metabolism and health.

In high temperatures, the body’s natural reaction is to slow down and to become lethargic. It increases perspiration and thirst. Therefore to reduce the risk of over-heating, the article recommends accessing cool environments, slowing down, drinking adequate water, and wearing non-restrictive light clothing.

http://health.ninemsn.com.au/family/8591843/heatwaves-are-deadlier-than-highways-ways-to-cope-this-summer

Comments

Pir-E-Kamil - The Perfect Mentor by Umera Ahmed: book review

The Perfect Mentor pbuh (2011) is set in Lahore and Islamabad in Pakistan. The novel commences with Imama Mubeen in medical university. She wants to be an eye specialist. Her parents have arranged for her to marry her first cousin Asjad. Salar Sikander, her neighbour, is 18 years old with an IQ of 150+ and a photographic memory. He has long hair tied in a ponytail. He imbibes alcohol, treats women disrespectfully and is generally a “weird chap” and a rude, belligerent teenager. In the past three years he has tried to commit suicide three times. He tries again. Imama and her brother, Waseem, answer the servant’s call to help Salar. They stop the bleeding from his wrist and save his life. Imama and Asjad have been engaged for three years, because she wants to finish her studies first. Imama is really delaying her marriage to Asjad because she loves Jalal Ansar. She proposes to him and he says yes. But he knows his parents won’t agree, nor will Imama’s parents. ...

Flaws in the Glass, a self-portrait by Patrick White: book review

The manuscript, Flaws in the Glass (1981), is Patrick Victor Martindale White’s autobiography. White, born in 1912 in England, migrated to Sydney, Australia, when he was six months old. For three years, at the age of 20, he studied French and German literature at King’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. Throughout his life, he published 12 novels. In 1957 he won the inaugural Miles Franklin Literary Award for Voss, published in 1956. In 1961, Riders in the Chariot became a best-seller, winning the Miles Franklin Literary Award. In 1973, he was the first Australian author to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature for The Eye of the Storm, despite many critics describing his works as ‘un-Australian’ and himself as ‘Australia’s most unreadable novelist.’ In 1979, The Twyborn Affair was short-listed for the Booker Prize, but he withdrew it from the competition to give younger writers the opportunity to win the award. His autobiography, Flaws in the Glass...

Sister cities discussed: Canberra and Islamabad

Two months ago, in March 2015, Australia and Pakistan agreed to explore ways to deepen ties. The relationship between Australia and Pakistan has been strong for decades, and the two countries continue to keep dialogues open. The annual bilateral discussions were held in Australia in March to continue engagements on a wide range of matters of mutual interest. The Pakistan delegation discussed points of interest will include sports, agriculture, economic growth, trade, border protection, business, and education. The possible twinning of the cities of Canberra, the capital of Australia, and Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan, were also on the agenda (i.e. called twin towns or sister cities). Sister City relationships are twinning arrangements that build friendships as well as government, business, culture, and community linkages. Canberra currently has international Sister City relationships with Beijing in China and Nara in Japan. One example of existing...

FEAST OR FAMINE

Search This Blog