Harmattan Is Coming:Tips To Stay Healthy This Harmattan

This is the season when Harmattan creeps in, it might have set in early this year but it is here with its give-away signs of dust, cold weather, cracked skin, and allergies and as a result of so much dust moving around, this season brings along cough, catarrh, sore throat,to mention a few.

The weather can be deceptive, as it changes from being hot to cold in split seconds and while the sun is shining, yet there is a chill in the air. So bearing this in mind, here are some tips that should help. 

• Stay hydrated: This just might be the sole most important tip to beat the dry season. The season itself is called ‘dry’, so we should be focused on staying moist and hydrated as much as possible. drink a lot of water and avoid caffeinated soda and sugary drinks as the sugar and caffeine in them aid dehydration of the body.

• Be Hygienic: Step up your hygienic pattern during this period.In the house, office, and kitchen as the wind transfers contaminated dust often than normal this season also In the course of patronizing hawkers, fruits, vegetables, and other edible items must be thoroughly washed before eating to prevent food-borne diseases

• Fruits,Fruits And More Fruits: Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables containing vitamin C, and other healthy fluid intakes.

• Eat hot food: Eating hot meals is the best answer to the cold weather. It does not only warm you up but fills your stomach. Coffee and cocoa are also good at warming you up, but they really don’t do a good job of filling your stomach.

•Cover Them Up: Ensure children are properly covered by wearing them thick clothes .younger children are vulnerable to cold.

•Stay Covered Up Too: Cover yourself well and wear thick clothes and appropriate shoes during this period so as to keep your body warm  and protect yourself from cold. The harmattan also triggers sickle cell crisis in those with sickle cell anemia. Oxygen in blood is usually reduced in extremes of temperatures, like cold; similarly, Asthma patients should be cautious. They tend to have more attacks because harmattan carries dust, and other allergenic materials capable of triggering attacks.

•Attend To It: Rapid treatment of respiratory symptoms like cough, catarrh, and others is important so it does not lead to a secondary infection.

• Keep the skin and hair healthy by applying oily creams at regular intervals, especially on hands and feet that are exposed daily.

• Lips are prone to dryness, keeping a lip balm in your pocket, car, and handbag for constant applications will avoid dry lips.

• It is also advisable to wear sunglasses to protect the eye from dust.

Do you have any more tips for dealing with this weather? Please share!