The Harmattan season is here. Some would say what a relief from all the floodings witnessed from the large volume of rainfall this year.
The dry, dusty harmattan comes with it’s measure of hazards too. There are warnings of its harsh weather conditions associated with infectious diseases and other ailments.
Harmattan season is experienced between the end of November and the middle of March every year in Nigeria.
The characteristic climatic feature is the dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, which blows from the Sahara Desert over West Africa into the Gulf of Guinea.
Common health conditions during this season include: spontaneous nose bleeds for some people, conditions of the skin,frequent headaches, cough, cold, sore throat, sneezing, wet eyes, catarrh and general nasal tract disorder causing great discomfort. This season is known to aggravate asthmatic conditions.
There are other mild conditions experienced during the Harmattan such as cracking or breaking of lips, sole of the feet, conjunctivitis (Apollo), dry skin and others.
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How then can you keep your self insulated from the harzards of harmattan?
The first natural line of defense against harsh weather conditions is to take shelter. During this season, you want to reduce outdoor exposure to the dry, dusty wind to only the necessary exposure.
Because the season is windy, many airborne pathogens are floating around in the air. We must fortify our body immune system by eating lots of fruits to load our system with vitamin C.
Keeping the room humidified helps reduce dryness of throat and nasal dryness. A room can be kept humidified by keeping a wet towel spread somewhere in the room or buy a humidifier.
Keeping doors and windows shut will limit the quantity of dust admitted into the room.
Because of the dryness of the season, dehydration and exhaustion are common complaints. Drinking a lot of water and fruit juices will help in this regard.
The skin is the worst hit part of the body during this season. Wearing protective clothing will keep skin dehydration down.
You can protect the lips from cracking by use of lip balm or applying Vaseline. Always make sure there is moisture on the lips, so that it does not get dry which causes the lips to crack or break.
The sole of the foot also requires as much care as the lips. Apply generous coating of petroleum jelly and work it into the soles of the feet before wearing socks to protect and keep the foot from being dehydrated.
