Hungarian Based Naija Dr. OJIUGO OGBU
This year’s dry season has been one of the hottest seasons witnessed by many. Though it has rained a couple of times in some parts of the country it seems that each time it rains, it maximises the rate at which heat comes.
Many Nigerians dread the heatwave that usually comes with the dry season. Heatwave triggers health challenges in some people, but the World Health Organisation and medical experts say living a healthy life is not impossible during the season,” says Hungarian-based Dr. Ojiugo Ogbu in a chat with City People reporter.
According to her, hot weather can cause heatstroke, conjunctivitis, dehydration, heat rashes, and general discomfort.
“The good thing that rain does for us is that it moderates the weather. When the weather is too hot, it (rain) cools it down. The weather condition is an issue, especially in the health dimension. How is it so? We had temperatures of 39, and 40, It is a little unusual to have temperatures that hot.
“The health implication is that people could suffer heatstroke. Another health implication is that there will be a prevalence of heat rashes. We also have a situation of general discomfort.
“This is also the period when some people have conjunctivitis (irritation of the eyes or what some people call Apollo). These are some of the health issues. But this year, the incidence of Apollo is a bit low. The weather also affects crop production. Nobody will eat corn as early as March until April this year because of the weather,” Dr Ogbu, who is also an environmentalist said.
Ogbu said that behavioural and physical modifications like wearing light clothing, taking baths regularly, drinking water regularly, and staying in a cool place are the solutions to heatwaves, stating that meningitis and stroke are the two most prevalent illnesses that people need to be wary of during the heating season.
“One of the ways to prevent deadly illnesses is to consume much water during the heat season.
“Aside from enough water, people should also take fruit like watermelon as it contains a high amount of electrolytes, alongside their normal foods, as there is no particular food associated with the heat season.
“Flies are associated with heat season and people should be careful of what they eat and the environment where they eat,” she said.
On why and what to do to prevent these illnesses, Ogbu said that to mitigate the impact of the heatwave in the country, Nigerians should adjust their lifestyles and stop the intake of alcohol, that alcohol has a way of removing more water from our body that is why you urinate more when you consume alcohol.
She, however, states that the effect of a heatwave can also depend on factors that are largely personalised. “These, include, intake of water, nature of your job especially jobs that expose you to the heat itself – if your job entails being outside between 12 and 3 pm when the sun is at its peak. Your diet – do you take enough water to hydrate yourself? Do you take alcohol and things that can reduce water in your body?
“You can also have other things like skin burns from excessive heat or sun and the effect of the electrolyte. When you lose water from your body you equally lose electrolytes and when the body doesn’t have enough water to excrete waste it can get into severe circumstances where even kidneys can develop problems.
“Organs will begin to fail particularly the kidney because the kidney needs water to help people to excrete waste and conserve what the body needs as well. So, the effect could be enormous to the brain, to the internal organs – the skin among others.,” she said.
Ogbu also suggests that the intake of water should be increased. “We should take more of watermelon, pawpaw, and fruits that have high water intake and contain anti-oxidant effects that help to mop up free radicals.
“Electrolytes that they contain will also help to replace what is lost from the effect of the heat in our body and indirect effect when it begins to affect certain organs in our body like kidneys.
“Where you need to be outside for long, do some exercises that will help you to cool off like swimming, wearing white and light materials that will not absorb heat, that will make you sweat more and lose more water.
“That excessive loss of water as a result of sweat could affect our body system and electrolytes which will affect the brain; confusion state will set in; the person could be dehydrated and dehydration can lead to shock in severe cases to death,” Dr Ogbu concluded.
-Benprince Ezeh
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