Keep your cool in summer
https://www.telegraphindia.com/1170417/jsp/knowhow/story_146630.jsp
Your Health - Dr. Gita Mathai
We are going to have a long, hot, dry summer, with above average temperatures and no rain. A few deaths from heat stroke have already been reported.
Our body organs function best at an internal temperature of 98.4°F. If the body temperature rises above this, the brain immediately sends chemical signals to the four million sweat glands all over the body. They secrete sweat, which covers the body in a thin film. As this evaporates, body temperature drops.
Sweating is not effective in cooling down children under the age of four as their sweat glands are immature. The process is inefficient in the elderly, in obese individuals and those with diabetes or on certain medications such as anti-depressants and anti-hypertensives. You require water to sweat so dehydration can reduce the amount of sweat formed. This is particularly true in athletes. Clothes made of synthetic fibres also trap the sweat next to the body, making it lose its cooling ability. If there is more than 60 per cent humidity in the atmosphere, sweat cannot evaporate.
If sweat fails to cool the body down, heat exhaustion sets in, with symptoms of weakness, headache, giddiness, palpitations and painful cramps. If this is not recognised, the body’s core temperature continues to rise and can reach as high as 105°F. This can result in confusion, disorientation, seizures and even death.
To prevent heat stroke, in summer, try to stay indoors as much as possible, preferably going out only before sunrise and after sunset. Confine exercising outdoors to the same time. Even swimming in the hot sun can lead to heat exhaustion and stroke.
The key to hydration is to drink plenty of fluids even before you feel thirsty. The best liquids are tender coconut water, lightly salted limejuice and buttermilk. Aerated cola drinks may feel good but are actually hypertonic. They aggravate dehydration. The ill effects of heat are also intensified by tea, coffee and alcohol.
A person suffering from heat exhaustion should be moved to a shaded spot or indoors under a fan or to an air-conditioned room. He or she should be given plenty of fluids, preferably with salt added. The body should be sponged with tepid water and ice packs placed on the armpits, groin and temples.
Summer is also the season for profuse sweating and prickly heat. Sweat pores can become blocked by dead skin cells, dirt or talcum powder. As the sweat tries to escape, it forms tiny clear bumps below the surface of the skin called miliria crystalline (prickly heat). Eventually, they turn red (miliria rubra), become itchy, and evolve into a brown scaly rash.
Prickly heat usually appears in covered areas where sweat cannot evaporate easily or the pores are blocked. Common areas are the forehead, the upper back, chest, arms and inner thighs — in areas where there are body folds and poor air circulation. It is aggravated by friction between the skin and tight-fitting, non-absorbent synthetic clothing. The continuous rubbing can lead to the skin eventually peeling off, leaving a raw red area. This can become secondarily infected with bacteria or candida.
To prevent prickly heat, bathe twice a day after adding a teaspoon of baking soda to a bucket of water. Do not apply soap directly on the skin but use a loofah. Even though advertising portrays prickly heat talc as a soothing option, it will only block the pores further and aggravate the condition. So do not use prickly heat talc, or any other talc, to get relief from prickly heat.
Dr Mathai is a paediatrician. Mail your questions to yourhealthgm@yahoo.co.in
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