Southeast Asia, Faces Both Increased , Pollution and Temperatures.<br />NBC reports that the combination of a brutal <br />heat wave and concerning levels of air <br />pollution has struck Southeast Asia. .<br />According to experts, the combo <br />has the potential to make an already <br />dangerous situation even deadlier.<br />In the past week, <br />both Vietnam and Laos <br />have recorded all-time highs. .<br />NBC reports that thick smog combined with <br />high temperatures can result in an increase in <br />respiratory, cardiovascular and kidney diseases.<br />When you have both these exposures <br />— and especially extremes of these <br />exposures — their combined effect <br />is more than the sum of their parts, Erika Garcia, environmental epidemiologist at the University <br />of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, via NBC.<br />According to a study published in the 'American Journal of <br />Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,' a combination of high <br />temperatures and air pollution increases the risk of death by 21%.<br />According to a study published in the 'American Journal of <br />Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine,' a combination of high <br />temperatures and air pollution increases the risk of death by 21%.<br />Heat will cause the blood vessels <br />to dilate and air pollution will increase <br />inflammation in the lungs and throughout <br />the body, so this can further increase <br />the risk of heart attacks, strokes <br />and other cardiovascular events, Rajesh Kumar, project scientist with the National Center <br />for Atmospheric Research in Colorado, via NBC.<br />According to Rajesh Kumar, a project scientist with <br />the National Center for Atmospheric Research in <br />Colorado, these health impacts present a global concern. .<br />NBC reports that ongoing greenhouse gas emissions <br />and more frequent and severe heat waves caused by <br />global warming could trigger a public health crisis.<br />There are people who can’t protect <br />themselves, people who don’t have <br />air conditioning, people who have to <br />work outside. There should be an <br />urgency to help these people, Dr. Wynne Armand, primary care physician <br />at Massachusetts General Hospital, via NBC
