Extreme heat has been breaking records across Europe, Asia and North America, with millions of people sweltering in heat and humidity well above “normal” for days on end. Death Valley hit a temperature of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) on July 16, 2023 – not quite the world’s hottest day on record, but close. […]
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Because of climate change, summers are getting hotter and more humid – much more humid. SciLine interviewed Dr. W. Larry Kenney, professor of physiology and kinesiology at Penn State University, who discussed why humid heat can be dangerous to human health and, in some cases, life-threatening; how heat stresses the body, particularly the cardiovascular system; […]
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With wildfire smoke affecting most of North America, what are the best ways to minimize the health impacts of air pollution under climate change? Here are answers to some key questions about the ongoing air quality problems. What is happening with air quality right now? Many North Americans have never experienced local air quality as […]
4 min read
Smoke from more than 200 wildfires burning across Canada has been turning skies hazy in North American cities far from the flames. We asked Chris Migliaccio, a toxicologist at the University of Montana who studies the impact of wildfire smoke on human health, about the health risks people can face when smoke blows in from […]
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Medical alert systems are a crucial lifeline for many individuals who live alone or have medical conditions that require immediate attention in case of an emergency. Here are 5 of the best medical alert systems to consider.
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We all get hiccups from time to time, and sometimes they just won’t seem to go away. Hiccups are involuntary contractions of the diaphragm – the muscle separating your chest from your abdomen, which plays a key role in breathing – followed by a sudden closure of the vocal cords. The medical term for hiccups […]
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