Change in weather may make your school going kids sick
Come April and some children are unlucky enough to be vulnerable to changes in seasons and this can mean that sickness is inevitable. Health experts say that a rise or fall in temperature can disrupt our immune systems from their task of protecting our health and well-being.
The transitional seasons between summer and winter are the ideal time to catch a cold, health experts claim. Every time the climate changes from summer to winter, or vice versa most family members, especially kids fall ill.
Adults generally suffer from has bronchitis and upper respiratory infection and the children have coughs and colds, according to health experts. Families also experience a rise in their medical bills during the seasonal changes and this no cooked-up theory. Health experts say that people react to the sudden jump in temperature in the middle of April when the mercury is likely to rise by more than 10°C within days, from 30s to 45°C.
The heat snap not only makes interesting talking point among residents, it also ushers in a rush of new patients to local clinics and pharmacies. Some clinics see a significant increase in the number of patients and a jump in the number of appointments. Patients usually suffer from include viral infections, influenza, upper respiratory infections and gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhea and stomach flu.
The increase in illness is because humans cannot cope with a sudden heat wave. When the body is exposed to big changes in a matter of seconds, immune systems cannot tolerate or cope up with it and people fall ill.
The reason why some people fall ill during change in temperatures and some don’t is that the human race is divided into two groups – those who are vulnerable to illness and those who are not. As long as healthy people continue to eat a balanced diet, take a lot of exercise and drink plenty of fluids, their bodies are able to cope with the dramatic onset of heat.
For those who fall into the vulnerable category – young children, pregnant women, the elderly and those suffering from chronic conditions such as asthma, diabetes or cancer – the risk of feeling unwell is much. The biggest problem according to experts is with that is dehydration, so if people are already running a fever they are going to be a lot more vulnerable when the weather is hot outside because that adds to the heat load that they already have in their body. It is not only the struggle our bodies have in adjusting that puts people at risk, but the fact that as the mercury rises we rush indoors to the malls, cinemas or air-conditioned offices and those confined spaces provide more opportunity for airborne infections and flu to be transmitted from one person to another. It only takes one sick person sneezing to release millions of viruses into the air that simply float around us.
Hundreds of new viruses enter our bodies every day and are stopped from causing harm, as long as our immune systems are not compromised. But by rushing indoors to escape the heat that is already weakening our immunity, we are heading into an environment where prolonged exposure to cold, dry air – and unclean air-conditioner ducts that carry a host of bacteria and viruses of their own – further weakens our immune systems.
It is not only the vulnerable in Gulf countries who are affected by temperature variations but other countries around the world experience a sudden rise in illness during weather changes. Experts advise staying well hydrated, staying warm in cold, air-conditioned environments and maintaining a balanced diet. But ultimately when you fall ill, you must also think of others and stay at home.
Here are five different ways you can keep your kids flu proof:
1- Do not send sick children to school
2- Hydration is very important – drink warm fluids and perform saline gargles
3- Ventilate rooms and expose kids to fresh air
4- Get plenty of rest and isolate the sick child, if infected
5- Advise them to cover their mouth while coughing
If you are sick, you have a responsibility not to infect other people, so try to limit your presence in public areas or take a day off to look after your sick children at home, according to health experts.
