The Expanding Health Burden Climate change is increasingly recognized as a determinant of health. Rising global temperatures, extreme weather events, and shifting disease vectors are reshaping the clinical landscape. Heat waves intensify cardiovascular stress, floods spread waterborne infections, and wildfires worsen respiratory conditions. Indirect Clinical Presentations Patients rarely present with “climate change” as a diagnosis.
Instead, clinicians encounter decompensated heart failure during heat waves, asthma exacerbations after wildfire smoke exposure, or anxiety following climate-related displacement. These subtle links often go undocumented, leaving physicians unaware of the environmental drivers behind recurrent complaints. Integrating Climate Awareness Clinicians can mitigate risks by incorporating climate literacy into practice. Counseling on hydration during heat waves ,…
