HOW TO SURVIVE EXCRUCIATING HEAT WAVE
•Engaging in activities in the sun can result in dire consquencies
He hissed intermittently, as he tried effortlessly to cool his sweaty body with a shirt used as an improvised fan. With his effort obviously not paying off, he blurted out in frustration. 'What type of weather is this? The sun is almost roasting us alive. It's like I am on fire. No time of the day is better. It's even worst at night.'
Tony isn't alone. He succinctly mirrored the minds and the many experiences of Nigerians in the past few weeks.
Call it the fury of the sun, and you won't be far from the truth. Momentarily, the sun seems to have suddenly grown in power, propensity and intensity causing lots of discomfort everywhere. The strength of the heat is astounding and, to borrow the term employed by many, killing. Many people just can't understand how the weather could suddenly go from being cold last December 2011 to its current hot state since January.
According to the Lagos State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Jide Idris, Lagos is currently experiencing heat wave which is a prolonged period of excessively and abnormally hot weather with temperature exceeding 32.2oc. This he noted, is usually accompanied by humidity that usually lasts for at least one day but could last several days to weeks. Continuous exposure to this excessive heat, he warned, is dangerous and could cause problems such as heat rash, heat stress, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.
Excessive heat has suddenly become a nagging pain for residents of Lagos and elsewhere around the country. Not helping the issue is the absence of power supply to many homes. With petrol almost priced out of the reach of the common man, powering the cheapest of generating sets popularly known as 'I better pass my neighbour' to ameliorate the heat has become almost impossible.
To cope with the unbearable heat, most people have resorted to sleeping in open spaces despite the dangers posed by mosquitoes and robbers. For the rich, air conditioned cars and homes offer some sort of reprieve from the extreme weather condition.
'I have to bathe almost thrice in the night because of the extreme heat even though I sleep outside with my family. Even consumption of water by my children has increased drastically. It's difficult coping with this,' lamented Yinka Badejo, a housewife.
According to the South-East Zonal Manager of the Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Mr. Ignatius Nwoko, while warning Nigerians against the health implication of the current heat wave, the hot weather can be attributed to the transition from the dry season to the rainy season. He also disclosed that the heat would be worst this month and advised people to stay away from the hot sun as well as avoid engaging in strenuous activities. Nwoko stressed that humans do not function well when the weather is very hot and advised Nigerians to always use umbrellas when going out and to work less in hot weather.
Suffering more from this extreme heat are pregnant women and children. Pregnant women, especially, are more prone to heat rash, dehydration, heat cramps, birth defects, and heat exhaustion especially during the first trimester. Also, those likely to come down with heat related ailments include elderly people and those with chronic medical conditions. Ailments like cold, catarrh and conjunctivitis (Apollo) are the common bacteria and viral-related infections which are rampant during hot weather conditions.
For children, ailments like meningitis and measles are usually experienced during dry, hot season. Also, other life threatening illnesses like whooping cough and tuberculosis, among others, threaten the health of children at this time. Dehydration has been identified as another condition which if not treated immediately, could damage organs like liver and kidney.
It is advised that children be clothed lightly and kept in a well-ventilated environment.
Even though no actual figure has been provided about heat related deaths, such deaths or related illnesses are preventable.
In June 2002, at least 60 people died of heat stroke caused by intense heat in Maiduguri. The temperature had fluctuated between 55 and 60 degrees Centigrade.
According to statistics, from 1979 to2003, excessive heat exposure caused about 8,015 deaths in the United States. During this period, it was noted that more people died from extreme heat than from hurricanes, lightning, tornadoes, floods, and earthquakes combined.
This extreme weather condition, according to environmental experts, could be blamed on the rapid deforestation and degradation of Nigeria's rainforest. And just like climate change proponents have said, the earth is facing serious problems of climate change and global warming, and that climate change has been the greatest challenge of the present time.
According to a lecturer with the University of Calabar, Prof. Francis Bisong, during a three-day workshop on deforestation, forest and vegetation resources have been dwindling over the years. He noted that the current deforestation rate estimated at 3.7 per cent was among the highest globally, placing Nigeria seventh on the list of Greenhouse Gases emitters due to the land use change. He then advised that it is high time the country embraced global programmes that would encourage a safer environment.
According to Dr. Jide Idris, one of the ways to avoid heat related ailments, especially in Lagos, is for people to reduce the amount of time they spend in the sun.
He warned that strenuous activities that could result in over-exposure to the sun such as sports and gardening must be avoided or done in the early hours of the day when the temperature is coolest.
For the millions of Nigerians that conduct their businesses in the open, the recent extreme weather condition, according to medical experts could be very dangerous.
Dr. Idris noted that continuous exposure to the condition is dangerous to health as it could lead to illness. He noted that some of the illnesses could be managed while some of them would require urgent medical attention as death might occur if not promptly attended to.
According to him, 'signs of illness resulting from excessive heat may include headache, dizziness, fainting, confusion, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps and rapid breathing.'
Dr. Idris, however, advised that people drink plenty of water and avoid drinks containing alcohol and caffeine. He also advised that people should wear loose fitting, light-coloured clothing that cover as much of their skin as possible when in the open.
Other protective measures against the heat, the commissioner noted, include using protective gadgets such as hats, umbrellas, sunglasses or sunscreen, taking cold baths and leaving the water to dry on the skin. He also added that controlling the temperature of work environment by proper ventilation, staying on the lowest floor of the house, out of the sunshine and covering windows that receive sun with drapes or louvers was important.
The commissioner advised that where heat injury is suspected, the victim should relocate to a cooler place and rest, and take off any excessive clothing. The person should be given cool water that contains salt and sugar to drink.
'If there is no improvement, the victim should call the toll free lines 767 or 112 or report at the nearest health facility,' he said.
Medical experts have advised that children, especially babies, should be dressed very lightly and not bundled in blankets or heavy clothing. Children with chronic respiratory conditions such as asthma should not be allowed to participate in vigorous exercise in the heat, and should not be left in parked cars or cramped into a bus.
It is advised to try as much as possible to stay out of the heat and humidity by being indoors during the hottest time of the day which is usually mid morning to mid afternoon.
Ensuring good personal hygiene such as bathing at least twice a day to reduce colonisation of the skin by fungi has also been advised. The application of antiseptic powder has been noted to have a cooling effect and also has the ability to protect against bacteria infection.