FACING THE SUMMER HEAT
The summer season is here again. The season is known and associated with heat and its relative illness. Yearly a great number of people in USA collapse and some die due to summer heat hazards and solar radiation. In North America, summer is hot and the heat wave disastrous; they experience a combination of high temperatures and high humility. The Rockies especially the East experienced catastrophic dryness. At low or moderate temperature, human bodies enjoy their God-given sunlight and go to beaches for swimming etc. but dissipate heat when it’s extremely high. Summer heat affects the body and blood circulation. Water the greatest body nutrient is lost through the skin and sweat glands. The heart in reaction pumps more blood into the system while the blood vessels dilate to contend with the increase flow. The body’s blood circulates closer to the skin’s surface that prompt excess heat to drain off into the cooler atmosphere, while water diffuses through the skin as perspiration. When the heat energy is evaporated through the skin, water and essential nutrient- dissolved to attracts the cool air into the body. Chemicals like sodium and chloride are pump onto the surface of the skin.
However the bad news is over- exposure to the sun or heat could lead to cramps, exhaustion, heat stroke, skin cancer and even death. Since prevention is better than cure, proper protection is crucial. To reduce the risk of heat related illness, we have to:
[a] avoid midday sun and hot environment. Take shelter at cool area or places provided by Government agencies and religious organizations, like Red Cross, etc or coolest available places not necessarily indoors. [b] Drink plenty of cool liquid or fluid-orange or tomato juice, soft drink or non-alcoholic thirst quencher, or Sport drink but preferable water even when you do not feel thirsty. [c] Avoid caffeine and alcoholic beverage and excessive salt food intake. [d] Dress in light weight, light-colored clothing to reflect the season as that helps your body maintain normal temperature [e] Physical activity is good for the body but we should be wise and apply common sense to reach common ground. Avoid or reduce strenuous activities to the minimum or and reschedule activity to the coolest time of the day. [f] It’s time to check how well our air conditioners are working and service them if need be and /or fetch additional fans to reduce the high cost of energy. It’s still part of our responsibility to protect our children. Ensure they remain indoors when the atmosphere is very hot and enjoy their sports at the coolest time of the day.We should watch out for symptoms like: headache, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, thirst, giddiness and profuse sweating. There could be signs of heat exhaustion. At the same time, heat stroke could have the following signs: chills, nausea, vomiting, throbbing the head, dis-orientation and slowing down of sweating. If the situation gets out of hand, feel free to call 911 for medical help. Once again prevention is better than cure. Stay healthy and have a wonderful summer season.
Evangelist Ogbonnaya can be reached at email: gkapin53@yahoo.com