Environmental Health
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the word Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. Health is at the center of our life. Every part of our life relies on having good health. Health can be improved not only through the consumption of health care services, but also through individual behavior and lifestyle choices such as quitting smoking, eating more nutritious foods, and getting more exercise. In today’s day and age, there are so many new diseases and cases of obesity, which people are being forced to struggle with. Unfortunately, in most cases, these problems are self-inflicted.
What is environmental health?
The environment can directly and indirectly impact on our health and wellbeing. Environmental health examines the interaction between the environment and our health. Humans interaction with the environment constantly. These interactions affect the quality of life, years of healthy life lived, and health disparities.
Why is the environment important for health?
We need safe, healthy, and supportive environments for good health. The environment in which we live is a major determinant of our health and wellbeing. Maintaining a healthy environment is central to increasing the quality of life and years of a healthy life. Globally, 23% of all deaths and 26% of deaths among children under age 5 are due to preventable environmental factors. We depend on the environment for energy and the materials needed to sustain life, such as:
- clean air
- safe drinking water
- nutritious food
- safe places to live
There are some issues that we had in our daily life, such as unsafe drinking water, Mosquitoes, and other vectors, UV exposure, Outdoor air pollution, Climate change, Hazardous substances, etc. these will cause many impacts on human health.
Here are some potential sources of environmental health problems include:
Air pollution: From car exhaust to wildfire and e-cigarette smoke to ozone, pollution is a mix of natural and man-made substances found both indoors and outdoors. Air pollution causes health issues such as Irritation of the eyes, nose, and throat, wheezing, coughing, increased risk of heart attack, etc.
Smoke: A single cigarette is chock full of hundreds of chemicals including arsenic, formaldehyde, and lead. Your lungs can be very badly affected by smoking. Coughs, colds, wheezing and asthma are just the start. Smoking can cause fatal diseases such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer. Smoking causes 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Lead: Old paint, contaminated soil and water, pottery and even house dust are a few ways people are exposed to this metal. Exposure to high levels of lead may cause anemia, weakness, and kidney and brain damage. Very high lead exposure can cause death. Lead can cross the placental barrier, which means pregnant women who are exposed to lead also expose their unborn child. Lead can damage a developing baby's nervous system.
Perfluorinated chemicals: These compounds help reduce friction and also are used to make products resistant to stains, water and grease. Near a chemical plant, PFOS and PFOA have been associated with pre-eclampsia (pregnancy-induced hypertension), birth defects (PFOA only), and increased uric acid levels – a marker of heart disease. Have an increased risk of prostate and bladder cancer.
Pesticides: These chemicals kill, repel or control pests from weeds and fungus to insects. Pesticides can cause short-term adverse health effects, called acute effects, as well as chronic adverse effects that can occur months or years after exposure. Examples of acute health effects include stinging eyes, rashes, blisters, blindness, nausea, dizziness, diarrhea and death.
References
👏👏
ReplyDelete🙌🏻
Delete