Shocking, Doctor Claims ‘Climate Change’ Causes Illness. Is This Real? [OPINION]

I heard about this story, and I thought, "Is this real"? I had to go and look around to find out what was being reported and who was reporting it. Had a doctor in Nelson, British Columbia really write down "Climate Change" as a diagnosis for a woman who came into the emergency complaining of breathing issues and dehydration?

I found multiple articles about this situation, and I find much information in a story from Sky News. A woman in her 70's went to the emergency room this past summer during a heatwave saying she was suffering from a headache and dehydration. The woman who suffers from diabetes and "some heart failure" was diagnosed with "Climate Change" as one of her illnesses. This was in the middle of a time when temperatures were much higher than normal, people were actually buying air conditioners, and there were wildfires in the area.

Dr. Kyle Merritt wrote this on the woman's medical chart. A quick check of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's website shows that they do have information on their site about the health effects of climate change. The first statement in the article is, Climate change, together with other natural and human-made health stressors, influences human health and disease in numerous ways. In the category that asked for the underlying cause he wrote, "climate change".

Look, I'm not a scientist. I don't have the answers to questions about climate change. You can Google and find trillions of articles on the topic. Some talk about one side of the issue being in support of making changes because of climate change and others talk about the other side of the issue, saying the research is flawed and doesn't bear out the claims. You decide that issue for yourself. According to Sky News, this was the deadliest heatwave in British Columbia's history.

I do wonder if this is the way to go when it comes to diagnosing patients, and here's why. My husband, God rest his soul, was infamous for his driving. If there was a left turn he could make while driving, I swear it was like he would look to find them. Now, that's not really true, but it felt like it. My husband loved to take left turns, claiming "we're going to get there faster". Okay, maybe, but I might have a heart attack in the meantime. My point here is that have we come to a point where even doctors want to put a political issue in front of a health issue? You may agree with him. You may not. There are so many factors that contribute to our health, and just like any other married couple, my husband and I got each other's nerves causing stress! Are we going to start putting stuff like that down on the line where it says, "underlying causes"? What about the ways in which our jobs impact our health? What about our kids? I'm being serious about these issues, and I am not trying to minimize any other issues.

I do not have the answers, but there is something about this that really bothers me. I can't quite put my finger on it other than the politics that end up being involved when you use the words "climate change". Does this bother you? Does this ruffle your feathers? Does this make you feel better that doctors are understanding climate change, or does it make you angry? Again, I don't know, but I really think the words "climate change" shouldn't be put on the line for "underlying causes". This woman is diabetic and has some heart failure, she is going to have trouble with her help regardless of anything else.