Temperatures are rising. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent. Air quality is decreasing. Climate change is not only taking a toll on the environment, but on our health. It’s no longer a question of what will happen; it’s what’s happening right now.

The 2014 National Climate Assessment, conducted by a team of more than 300 experts and a federal advisory committee, concluded that new health threats will emerge and existing ones will only get worse. Increased global temperatures, ground-level ozone and air pollution are expected to limit lung function and increase emergency room trips for those with asthma, whose ranks have substantially increased in the past decade. What’s more, longer and fiercer pollen seasons are expected to worsen respiratory symptoms, leading to more missed school days and time off from work.

That’s why the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is taking steps now to educate the public and policymakers on the dangers and effects of climate change on health.

“Climate change is as big an environmental challenge as we have ever faced,” Gina McCarthy, administrator of the EPA, said in a written statement to U.S. News. “It supercharges risks not only to our health, but to our economy and our way of life. From stronger storms and longer droughts to increased allergy seasons, insurance premiums, and food prices, climate impacts affect all Americans’ lives.”

Here’s how experts say climate change is expected to impact human health, with tips for those at risk:

Nothing to Sneeze About

“We’re seeing a rise in asthma and allergic diseases across the globe and are looking at many influences and factors contributing to that – one of them is rising pollen,” says Dr. Jeffrey Demain, director of the Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Center of Alaska and an associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, in Seattle.

Not only are plants producing more pollen, but the pollen being churned out is more allergenic, he says. Research suggests these changes are being driven by rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, a consequence of burning fossil fuels and changes to land use.

Longtime allergy sufferer Patti Schwartz, of Catonsville, Maryland, has noticed an increasingly early and severe allergy season, compared with previous years.

“You talk to people, and everybody is suffering. Something is changing,” Schwartz says.

Also a certified asthma educator for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, she and her family control their symptoms with a plethora of medications, from nasal sprays to decongestants and antihistamines. Yet on bad pollen days, there’s no escaping the triggers. It’s on those days she and her family keep the air conditioning cranked on and the windows shut tight.

Demain recommends that people like Schwartz take similar steps to control their symptoms. It’s key to understand the environment and limit time outdoors if you’re in a high-pollen area.

“Tree pollens, for example, are going to be worse in the morning, so the afternoon or evening is a better time for that bike ride,” Demain says.

Grass pollens kick up in mornings and evenings, while weed pollens, like ragweed, are typically fiercest before noon.

Heart Disease and Stroke

Pollution and extreme temperature changes can increase the risk for heart attack or stroke, says Dr. Rani Whitfield, a family medicine physician in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and spokesman for the American Heart/Stroke Association.

The culprit? Particulate matter, also known as particle pollution, or simply PM, which the EPA defines as a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets. Their increasing numbers are courtesy of droughts and wildfires. The harmful concoction of acids – such as nitrates and sulfates – along with organic chemicals, metals, soil and dust particles is associated with inflammation of the blood vessels, Whitfield says.

“If they swell and become inflamed, it’s the same as having a blockage from plaque formation or if you have a blood clot. How long that might last or happen depends on exposure,” Whitfield says.

And because it’s linked to inflammation and subsequent blood vessel dysfunction, PM can increase the risk for coronary artery disease – damage to the blood vessels – and atherosclerosis, hardening of the arteries. The risk is greater if you’re living in an urban area due to higher levels of outdoor air pollution from energy consumption and exhaust emissions from cars and other vehicles.

To lower the risk of damage, Whitfield recommends the elementary rules for heart health: move more, maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking and eat a balanced diet.

Mental Health and Stress

When Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey beaches in 2012, residents returned to find their beloved homes destroyed. Stress weighs heavily on those who lose their roots, says Dr. Susan Clayton, a psychology professor at the College of Wooster in Ohio.

Although a warming climate may decrease the overall number of storms that form, it could increase the number of more intense, damaging storms. Melting glaciers and ice caps can also lead to increased sea levels, making coastal flooding a recipe for disaster should a storm reach a coastline. For example, Demain says that Alaska’s permafrost – the foundation for many homes and roads – has begun to melt, leading to the relocation of 12 villages. “It’s not something most people are aware of because it’s not them. Mostly, we tend to be concerned with what’s outside our window. That’s human nature,” he says.

If you’ve been the victim of a natural disaster or have been displaced due to weather, you could be more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder, though not everybody does, Clayton says. However, stress, anxiety and depression can all be consequences of these kinds of disasters.

​”It might not sound like a health issue, but our community support networks are one of the things that can make a difference in whether we’re resilient to a stressor or not,” Clayton explains.

What people can do to offset their risk of experiencing this type of stress depends on where they live and what their occupation is. If you are a farmer, think about how your agricultural practices might need to change in response to climate conditions, Clayton says. If you’re living in an area prone to flooding, know what you can do to prepare your home for the worst and map out exit routes. In the longer term, it may be beneficial to think about living in an area that’s not prone to flooding, she explains.

Sometimes being proactive to reduce the potential emotional impact of climate change can be just as important as having a battery operated radio or a supply of bottled water to ride out the storm​; optimism can go a long way.

Other steps include reducing your carbon footprint and developing a community group that can come together in emergencies.

Germs on the Move

The emergence of infectious diseases like Ebola in new places could be the result of climate change, says Daniel Brooks, a senior research affiliate at the Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Increasing temperatures can also promote water-borne illnesses in shellfish, which can be transmitted to humans through consumption, Brooks says. If traveling outside the U.S., he recommends avoiding drinking unfiltered water and eating any fruits or vegetables you haven’t peeled yourself to stave off sickness. If going to a malaria zone, be sure you and your travel companions are appropriately vaccinated against the disease, he says.

Humans aren’t the only ones susceptible to these climate change-induced health risks. Forty years ago, dog heart worm appeared to be restricted to the Southeastern U.S., but now it is all over North America, he says. “It’s the single biggest disease problem that dog veterinarians in Ontario deal with now, and it’s been allowed by climate change,” Brooks says. As it has moved north, the disease has come into contact with coyotes, wolves and even foxes. “Now all of those organisms are infected as well,” he explains.

Brooks, who is also an emeritus professor at the University of Toronto, and Eric Hoberg, a zoologist with the U.S. National Parasite Collection of the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, authored a paper on the “parasite paradox,” published February in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B.

The study explains that different carriers and the pathogens they host have migrated to locations with increased rainfall or fluctuating temperatures. The authors suggest that the increasing cases of West Nile Virus and Dengue Fever in typically unheard of geographic locations, including the U.S., can be traced back to mosquitoes.

“This is a problem because it not only expands the range of hosts that can be infected with the pathogen, but those new hosts also tend to get sicker because they’ve never been exposed before,” Brooks explains.

The West Nile Virus was introduced to the U.S. as a result of tourism, he says. Now that it’s here, it has spread rapidly. “It’s simply moving north with climate change,” he says.

Brooks says it’s prudent to use insecticide whenever outdoors during mosquito season, and to check yourself diligently for ticks whenever at risk for encountering them.

They say the only constant is change, which is especially true today. Safeguarding your health against the changing threats, for now, is no more advanced than employing tried-and-true, common-sense strategies.

“We’ve seen enormous changes, and what’s really frustrating is we feel like the world has wasted almost two generations blithering on about this,” Brooks explains. “Now it’s right at us, and hopefully it’s not too late. That’s why we always say, ‘be really afraid but don’t panic.’”