Hurricanes and tornadoes get all the attention, but extreme temperatures—whether high or low—can have profound health effects too.
It’s important for you to be aware of the effects of temperature extremes. Consider these 2005 stats, which demonstrate just how profoundly these weather conditions can affect our health.
- About 12,700 people throughout the United States were hospitalized due to heat or cold. About 6,200 were heat-related, and 6,500 were cold-related. Don’t underestimate the impact of either extreme.
- Cold weather is deadlier. Around 180 people died from heat-related problems, while 685 died from cold-related problems.
- Men were hospitalized more frequently than woman, probably because they are more likely to work outside.
- Elderly are affected most. Hospitalization rates for those 65 and older were about 15 times the rate of those 0 to 17 years old.
- We need to pay particular attention to persons in lower-income communities, who were hospitalized about twice as often as those in the wealthier communities.
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality