Some Tips to Adopt in Harmattan season for Your Health Benefits

The uncomfortable continuous blowing of dry-dusty winds throughout the day brings along an increased risk of the proliferation of food related diseases as the generous winds carries with it a whole lot harmful pathogens/germs. Also, there is an increased risk of contracting infections especially common cold.

Tips to Adopt in Harmattan season for Your Health benefits

DRINKING LOTS OF WATER
The dryness of the harmattan causes you to lose lots of body fluids through perspiration. After a while outdoor, you feel dryness of the throat and it’s a sign of ongoing fluid lose. A consequence of this harmattan-induced dehydration is manifested in you having dry and sticky lips(mouth), sleeplessness or tiredness, thirst, decreased urine output, few or no tears when crying, dry skin, light-headedness, constipation, dizziness or, restlessness, “cracking of lips and feet” and lose of concentration.

We thus recommend that you don’t just follow the rule of drinking eight (8) to ten (10) glasses of water (7-8 sachet water) daily but consider making your meals moister. Drink water regularly throughout the day and not wait to feel like it.

When you have a good fluid balance in your body, it aids in keeping you sharp-minded and allows you to go about your activities without feeling restless. Having enough water in your body is also necessary for proper functioning of your entire body.

EAT LOT OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
Harmattan provides perfect conditions for the transmission of airborne illnesses. A lowered immune system will give room to the manifestation of these illnesses. Infections like common cold are rampant at this time of the weather calendar. You should therefore endeavor to eat lots of fruits and vegetables to help strengthen your immune defense. Fruits also contain lots of fluids in them as well as some vegetables.

OBSERVE FOOD HYGIENE
During this period the proper handling and storage of food should be made paramount to prevent food contamination.

Airborne diseases are diseases caused by pathogens and transmitted through the air. The relevant pathogens may be viruses, bacteria, or fungi, and they may be spread through coughing, sneezing and blowing dust during this period.

The blowing winds don’t just carry dust but pathogens that can cause lots of sicknesses such as diarrhoea. Hence, you practice should be to cover you foods when not eating and wash your hands with soap and flowing water before eating.
Also people who handle foods should make a point to at all times wash their hands and keep sneezing as well as coughing away from the food. For the reason that food hygiene of most foods vended/sold on the streets cannot be guaranteed, we advise you limit your habit of eating/buying street foods.

endeavour to practice the following;
1. Always wear weather friendly clothes
2. Bush burning should be discouraged, avoided/reduced
3. Though we might be celebrating, the use of fireworks, bangers etc, should be regulated and if possible, entirely discouraged.
4. Wash fruits and vegetables very well, especially in saline solution, in order to avoid food borne diseases. Fruits and vegetables can be contaminated by pesticides as well as animal waste, etc. This waste can contaminate the water used to hydrate crops, from wild animals or the manure used on crops. It can contain pathogens such as E-coli, salmonella and campylobacter.
5. Electrical/electronic appliances not in use should always be disconnected from the electric, wall socket, etc.
6. Use more of flower soap than medicated/antiseptics.
7. Many persons care less about using body cream, not in this season, its of immense benefits that we apply cream, especially moisturizers.
8. Protect your mouth by applying vaseline or lip gloss.
9. Don’t dry your hair completely after bath, if you are not going out, it’s okay to let it dry all by itself.
10. Often use cap, scarf, handgloves, socks, etc.
11. Apply hair oil, hair sprays, lotions and creams to hair daily or as regular as possible (depending on your kind of hair) or weather severity at the time.
12. Eat very well, eat alot of fruits, especially oranges, apples, bananas and vegetables as well.
13. Avoid the use of facial cleansers (as it dries up the oil on the face thereby, opening up the pores of the skin) if you must, make sure to use ones that don’t contain alcohol, as its very harsh on the skin.
14. Be careful to avoid injuries of any form
15. Wash your hands with soap (preferably under running water) before eating.
16. Cover all foods to prevent dust and germs from contaminating them.
17. Eat only warm foods.
18. Drink lots of water to keep your body refreshed all day.
19. When sneezing or coughing, make it a point to keep it away from foods yet to be eaten.
20. Eat fruits and vegetables to keep your immune system healthy.