The impact of climate change on the environment, biosphere, and biodiversity has become more evident in the recent years. Human activities have increased atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gases. Change in climate and the correlated global warming affects the quantity, intensity, and frequency of precipitation type as well as the frequency of extreme events such as heat waves, droughts, thunderstorms, floods, and hurricanes. Respiratory health can be particularly affected by climate change, which contributes to the development of allergic respiratory diseases and asthma. Pollen and mold allergens are able to trigger the release of pro‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory mediators that accelerate the onset the IgE‐mediated sensitization and of allergy. Allergy to pollen and pollen season at its beginning, in duration and intensity are altered by climate change. Studies showed that plants exhibit enhanced photosynthesis and reproductive effects and produce more pollen as a response to high atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide (CO2). Mold proliferation is increased by floods and rainy storms are responsible for severe asthma. Pollen and mold allergy is generally used to evaluate the interrelation between air pollution and allergic respiratory diseases, such as rhinitis and asthma. Thunderstorms during pollen seasons can cause exacerbation of respiratory allergy and asthma in patients with hay fever. A similar phenomenon is observed for molds. Measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can have positive health benefits.
This review study aimed to determine the relationship between exposure to smoke from biomass burning in the Amazon rain forest and its implications on human health in that region in Brazil. A nonsystematic review was carried out by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, SciELO, and EMBASE databases for articles published between 2005 and 2021, either in Portuguese or in English, using the search terms "biomass burning" OR "Amazon" OR "burned" AND "human health." The review showed that the negative health effects of exposure to smoke from biomass burning in the Amazon have been poorly studied in that region. There is an urgent need to identify effective public health interventions that can help improve the behavior of vulnerable populations exposed to smoke from biomass burning, reducing morbidity and mortality related to that exposure.
The Saharan Air Layer is a mass of hot, dry air laden with dust that forms over the Sahara and moves towards the Atlantic Ocean. This air mass contains soil dust particles emitted by the action of winds on the African continent. Between June and August, the large-scale patterns of wind circulation transport dust from the Sahara across the tropical North Atlantic Ocean,affecting parts of the Caribbean, Central America, Mexico, even some regions of the United States, and the Mediterranean and Southern Europe. Between December and April, wind circulation patterns facilitate dust transportation from the Sahara to the northern parts of South America and the Amazon. This dust transportation a phenomenon of interest to geosciencesand public health because of the potential health impacts of dust dispersion and circulation in the atmosphere. Thus, we assessed the relationship between exposure to Saharan dust (SahD) and its implications for human health in the Americas. We performed a nonsystematic review in the PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Scielo databases of studies published between 2000 and 2020 in Portuguese, English, French, or Spanish using the search words “Saharan dust,” or “mineral dust,” or “desert dust,” and “human health.” The available direct air pollutants measurements indicate that the pollution level in the cities affected on a constant and prolonged basis is high versus acceptable standards. Further, this review also showed that the negative health effects of SahD are sparsely studied in the Americas.
The association between symptoms of asthma, rhinoconjunctivitis (RC) and allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is frequent, and AC is considered a comorbidity of asthma and allergic rhinitis (AR). Ocular symptoms are often underestimated and undertreated.Differences according to gender were reported, because girls present symptoms more frequently. The development of RC depends on genetic and environmental factors, and recent studies have indicated that gender, family history of atopy, early sensitization, food allergy, and atopic dermatitis are risk factors for allergic RC. There are six well-defined clinical forms of ocular allergy: seasonal AC, perennial AC, vernal keratoconjunctivitis, atopic keratocon-junctivitis, and contact blepharoconjunctivitis.
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