COLD SEASON IN AFRICA (EFFECT ON HEALTH) by OMOLOLA ADAMS OLATAYO

COLD SEASON IN AFRICA (EFFECT ON HEALTH

Cold is season in Africa is often associated with raining season, during heavy rain there is often high intensity of cold such that the body vibrate countless. Cold occur due to body reaction to external temperature. The human body has a functional maintenance and compensatory mechanism it undergoes to maintain body internal and external temperature, this process is known as homeostasis. The body use all measures to adapt with the external environment so as to suit its functionality, when all efforts made by the body proved abortive, then external help may be required which include human activities.

It is often believed that when there is an invasion of microorganism into human body, the natural body soldiers will fight the foreigner such that it destroys the organism, when the foreigner overpowered the natural body fighters then body manifest various symptoms of illness such as pain around the infected area which may later becomes systemic, redness of the area, swollen of the affected site and many more. Then the body temperature increases drastically which increases above abode.

According to Wikipedia, cold refers to the condition or subjective perception of having low temperature, the opposite of hot.  A lower bound to temperature is the absolute zero, defined as 0 K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute thermodynamic temperature scale. This corresponds to −273.15 °C on the Celsius scale, −459.67 °F on the Fahrenheit scale, and 0 °R on the Rankine scale.

Human temperature is endothermic that is warm-blooded physiologically. There is a center in the brain that regulates body temperature thus there is need to maintain internal and external temperature. A lot of factors contribute to changes in body temperature which may include metabolism and environmental surroundings.

Human body undergoes body temperature through the following process; conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation. These are the process through which heat is gained or lost in human body. I will discuss in detail in another bulletin, the mechanism of all the aforementioned heat loss process. Metabolism plays an important role in maintaining internal and external environment, metabolism conjure the ATP which often generate heat, the heat is often important in maintaining internal environment. Besides, the heat plays an active role in homeostasis, thus maintaining thermal equilibrium with the external environment. When this equilibrium shift from the balance as a result of excessive heat loss, then individual perceive the feeling of being cold.

Cold is not a disease condition, but often associated with some diseases condition and can predispose to the following disorders in Africa;

*flu
*malaria
*pneumonia
*upper and lower respiratory tract infections
*rheumatoid arthritis
*arthritis
*tuberculosis
And many more, just to mention a few.

ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN TO MAINTAIN STABLE AND EQUILIBRIUM STATE OF BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT

1.   Individual should maintain the temperature with use of sweater or cardigan or pull over

2.    The take of hot drink all the time such as hot pap, hot oat, hot tea, and many more. Hot liquid diet increases the temperature sharply than the hot solid food, this is due to to digestion process

3.    The use of hot water to bath in the morning, culturally, Africa believes that only premature individual bathes with hot water, its advisable that the vulnerable ones should take hot ao warm bath

4.   The use of cover clothes at night while at sleep, this will stabilize the temperature thus preventing shivering and cold, usually there high humidity of temperature in night till following morning

5.   Always ensure the nose is not totally exposed to excess cold because it’s a good source of cold leading to common cold and flu

6.   If you have a car ensure the heater is on for a while before you enter the car

7.   Also provide heater in the house to keep the house warm.

Written by OMOLOLA ADAMS OLATAYO a registered nurse, no 14, Rafiu Aderemi Close, Fiwasaye Area, Osogbo, Osun State.