THEThe extreme night night aggravates, in those suffering from asthma or other respiratory problems, the physiological reduction in the caliber of bronchi that takes place during rest, well tolerated in healthy individuals. This is what emerges from a recently published study on Environmental Health Perspectives which highlighted a worrying link between very intense night heat waves and worsening of the symptoms of respiratory diseases. Here are the advice of the experts.
Night heat: what should those who suffer from asthma know
When we think of the impact that the heat has, in particular on respiratory health, we naturally tend to worry about the most hot hours of the day, with the sun overlooking our heads and the mercury column which, as in these days, splashes on impressive values. In reality, one of the aspects of the waves of heat that affects very seriously on respiratory pathologiesis the one linked to high night temperaturesoften underestimated, despite causing the worsening of respiratory symptoms overnight.
Asthma and respiratory pathologies: why do you fall again with the heat?
To warn on the increase in risks to pulmonary health, when the heat remains intense even at night, it is Giovanna Elisiana Carpagnano, full professor and director of the Pneumology of the Policlinico di Bari. The international meeting on respiratory diseases, co-organized by Menarini Foundation, In collaboration with the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” and the University of Foggia, he saw the participation of pneumologists and specialists from all over the world. “We know that the repercussions of heat waves are particularly dangerous For the respiratory system, as the first target organ of climate change and environmental degradation. What is less known is, however, that the night minimum temperatures are growing Even more quickly than the daytime and that the “tropical” nights, with minimums up to 25 ° C, have a serious impact on respiratory health, equal to that of daytime heat waves “, underlines Carpagnano.
The night heat in Italy is increasing
Due to the climatic crisis, in fact, our country, based on the data of theEuropean Environment Agency, It is in third place in Europe by number of annual tropical nights, behind only Greece and Cyprus. Already in the thirty years 1981–2010 Italy had reached an average of 41.6 nights per year above 20 ° C. This is, which has gone by increasing over the years, especially in cities, where the “heat island” effect amplifies the problem. “In the last summers it has also arrived at 48 “hot” nights, equal to 52% of the season, of which 13 nights with temperatures above 23 ° C, With a budget on health and of victims that often turns out to be disconcerting “, Punctualizes Carpagnano.
The study on Sul Environmental Health Perspectives
To reveal it, a study published on Environmental Health Perspectives, which took into consideration the data on the minimum and maximum daily temperatures recorded in Japan, with latitudes similar to those of our country, in a period of over 40 years, from 1973 to 2015. According to research, night heat waves, with minimums up to 25 ° C, would in fact make the mortality rate from respiratory diseases rise by 10%, regardless of the daytime temperature.
What happens to the bronchi when there is hot at night
«This is due to the fact that the night is, in itself, a critical element, Why During rest, the caliber of bronchi, even in healthy individuals, is reduced to 8%. This narrowing of the airways, linked to the circadian rhythm, is aggravated in those suffering from asthma with an extreme night -hot night which, causing an increase in the temperature inside the chest, activates the nerve fibers of the respiratory muscles, which do not relax do not allow normal lung emptying, making breathing difficult, with asthmatic crisis which can also be fatal, “explains the expert.
Precautions when there is hot
«It is therefore important to encourage the most vulnerable subjects to take precautions such as the use of fans or dehumidifiers during the night, Especially when it comes to elderly and asthmatic children. These patients must try to create, inside their home, especially in the bedroom, a Fresh environment to reduce the impact of night heat waves And minimize possible inconvenience and damage to health, “concludes Carpagnano.
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