Chennai: “I was out since morning roaming in the streets and the blazing sun did not bother me till I fainted in the evening,” complained 18-year-old Krishna. Little did he know that the soaring levels of temperature drained his body water till it bit him? While summer brings joy to many in the form of pool parties and holidays, it has its own set of health problems, say doctors. Increasing levels of temperature also increase body heat leading to sleep disorders, eye problems, heat cramps and lot more.
With Agni Nakshatram setting in on Thursday, the worst of summer is yet to come. So, it’s better to get buckled up. Ophthalmologist Dr Cyril of M N Eye Hospitals says summer hits the eyes hard. “Common eye problems include conjunctivitis which occurs due to dirty water and unhygienic hands and another problem is dryness in the eye, mostly encountered by motorists,” he told Deccan Chronicle.
Since there is lot of dust created during summer, foreign particles enter the eye very easily and that is the reason why people should not rub their eyes when dust enter them. “This could be a reason if someone gets allergic conjunctivitis,” Mr Cyril said, advising school students to get their eyes checked before their schools reopen in the first week of June.
Also, swimming pools can have fatal consequences in summer. Unclean pools cause skin, ear, and respiratory and neurological infections. So, ensuring proper quality of water is a must, doctors advise.
“Stomach sickness is very common in the season, usually accompanied by an urge to vomit. Since people are more exposed to heat stress and micro organisms, they thrive for un-cooked food and this takes a toll on your tummy,” says Dr Prabhat, private practitioner.
Food acts as a medicine to avoid any health problem in summer. The body’s ability to combat acidity reduces in the season and it also needs more water to get going. A tiny change in our daily diet can help us stay healthy.
Suggesting healthy ways of diet, consultant dietician Dharani suggests people to drink as many fluids as possible, avoiding sugar-loaded beverages. “Replace fried and heavy food with a plate of fresh fruits and salad and a normal south Indian meal is the best way to beat summer strike,” she advises.
