How to take care of your health during the hottest days

According to the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, due to the influence of severe heat, the weather in some provinces and cities in the North and Central regions during the day sometimes reaches 37-40 degrees, in some places over 40 degrees.

Health experts note that hot weather has a significant impact on health, increasing the incidence of stroke and heatstroke. Therefore, everyone needs to know how to maintain their health during hot days.

Subjects at risk

According to the guidance of the Department of Health Environment Management (Ministry of Health), in the hot season, you may encounter some common health problems such as: Sunstroke, heatstroke or heat stroke. The main cause is due to prolonged exposure or working in hot, high temperature environments or it can also be due to sudden changes in environmental temperature.

Some high-risk groups include:

• Elderly, children and pregnant women.
• People who work or exercise at high intensity outdoors in the sun for long periods of time or in hot environments: agricultural workers, workers in brick kilns, steel smelters, etc.
• People with chronic diseases: high blood pressure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes.

Symptoms of common health problems during hot weather depend on the duration of exposure to heat and the degree of body temperature increase.

Mild: Fatigue, thirst, dizziness, lightheadedness, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, palpitations, cramps.

Severity: Severe headache, increasing difficulty breathing, nausea or vomiting, weakness or paralysis of one side of the body, convulsions, fainting or coma, cardiovascular collapse (rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, ...) and possible death.

Handling situations in hot weather

The Ministry of Health recommends that when experiencing health problems due to heat, depending on the severity of the symptoms, appropriate treatment measures should be quickly applied. For mild cases, the victim should be immediately moved to a cool, airy place. Loosen the victim's clothing or remove some of the victim's outer clothing. Then, wipe the victim's body with a cool towel or pour cool water on the victim's body and dry. If the victim can drink water, give them small sips of cool water. It is best to drink water with added salt and minerals such as Oresol mixed in the correct dosage according to the instructions for use.

If the victim has a cramp, gently massage the cramped area. Make sure that there are no people around the victim. After about 10-15 minutes, the symptoms will gradually subside.

If the victim has severe symptoms, call 115 immediately or quickly take the victim to the nearest medical facility. Note that during the transportation process, regularly apply cool compresses to the victim.

In the current unusually hot weather conditions, people need to pay attention to exercise conditions. They should avoid the hottest time, usually from 12:00 to 16:00. They should choose after this time, when the temperature is milder.

In addition, on hot days, if you have to work outdoors for a long time or travel a long distance, try to take measures to protect your body such as wearing protective clothing to protect against the sun, ventilating, and covering when working outdoors. It is especially important to drink enough water to prevent dehydration.

Experts warn that in hot environments, if you exercise or work too hard, your body temperature will increase beyond the body's tolerance threshold, which can cause a stroke or heat shock.

Preventive measures

The Department of Health Environment Management recommends that people should limit going out in the sun on hot days, especially between 10am and 4pm.

People who are in a room with low air conditioning should not go out into the sun suddenly but need to give their bodies time to adapt to the outside environment by increasing the air conditioning temperature in the room or sitting in the shade before going out.

Along with that, it is necessary to increase the intake of green vegetables and fruits, and there should be soup in daily meals. In particular, it is necessary to drink at least 1.5-2 liters of water/day. Should drink many times a day, should not drink too much water at once. Exercise to improve your resistance and tolerance to hot weather conditions.

For those who have to work in hot weather, it is advisable to arrange working hours during cool times such as early morning or late afternoon. Limit working time in high temperature environments.

If you have to work, do not work too long in a hot environment and avoid strenuous physical activities. You should periodically rest in a cool place for 15-20 minutes after about 45 minutes to 1 hour of work.

Each person should minimize the area of ​​sunlight exposure on the body, especially the neck and shoulders. Use appropriate personal protective equipment when working outdoors in the sun such as protective clothing, hats, caps, and glasses. Wear loose, cool, sweat-absorbent clothing. You can also use sunscreen.

Do not use alcoholic beverages. Drink water regularly during work. Especially drink water with added salt and minerals such as Oresol for those who sweat a lot during work. When drinking water, follow the manufacturer's instructions.

In addition, it is necessary to take measures to cool the workplace such as using canopies, heat-reflecting panels, insulation materials, water spraying and misting systems, installing air conditioning systems, and suitable ventilation fan systems.