How to Stay Healthy During Harmattan

It’s that season of the year again, that is usually characterised by dusty and dry wind. And this predisposes many of us to cold and flu. For those of us who love the Harmattan season, our love for it comes at a price. According to experts on health, the change in the environment with results in Harmattan brings about an increase in the emergence of common cold and flu which is always very rampant in children and adults during the period, in fact, it’s usually difficult to spare anyone. therefore Nigerians should concern themselves with how they should prevent themselves from those infections.

What are the differences between cold and flu?

Differentiating common cold from flu, scientists, explained that common cold manifests with a trilogy of symptoms: sore throat, blocked nose, and cough. There are more than 200 viruses that can cause the common cold, but rhinoviruses are by the far the most common culprits.

The flu, they said is caused by the influenza virus, of which there are three types: influenza A, influenza B, and influenza C. “Common colds and flu share many symptoms, but an infection with influenza often also manifests with a high temperature, aching, and cold sweats or shivers — a good way to tell the two apart”.

• Why do we have cold and flu?

  The experts further explained how these viruses normally try to break our bodies defence mechanism, and gain entrance through the noses.

  The report stated that once a virus has penetrated this defense mechanism, the immune system takes control of fighting off the intruder. Phagocytes, which are specialised immune cells, engulf and digest viruses. But cold air has also been linked to a decrease in this activity.

  This explains why we are actually discouraged from using dirty fingers to touch our eyes, nose, or mouth, because these are the gates to the body.

  How to ward off cold and flu in Harmattan

  The best way to protect yourself is by washing your hands with soap and water frequently, avoiding touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, and staying away from people who are already infected.

  These rules also apply to influenza. The CDC recommends a yearly flu shot as the best way of preventing infection.

  However, should you fall prey to harmattan virus; there are natural remedies to help you out.

  Natural remedies for cold and flu.

  • 1. Take Vitamins Supplement:
    One of the ways you can live healthy or stay healthy during harmattan is to take vitamins supplements as much as possible. Some may be prescribed by the doctor or you buy supplements like Vitamin C which keeps the body safe at this time but for children, you can give then syrup of Vitamins at this time. The primary function of this vitamin supplement is to prevent harmattan related diseases and other diseases such as scurvy, flu, cough etc which may affect people, adult or babies when exposed to this dusty winds.
  • 2. Wear thick clothing:
    Another thing you need to cope and live healthy during harmattan is to wear thick clothing. Wearing thick clothing helps to prevent cold infection or over exposing the chest to cold symptoms which is one of the best healthy things to do. You can keep your children or babies safe and warm by wearing thick cloth for them at this time.
  • 3. Use Balm / Body Moisturizer:
    Harmattan causes dry skin, dry lips, lips cracks, skin cracks etc but you can manage this by using lip balms on your lips, and applying moisturizing cream on body and leg. Using this is healthy due to the oil contents it contains. It prevents the skin surface from various irritations that may occur due to harmattan. And it one of the best way to keep babies safe at this time by rubbing their body with shea butter or any wet skin lotion that prevent the skin from dryness.
  • 4. Eat fruits:
    Just as we highlighted about Vitamins in (1), fruits is also good to eat during harmattan because it contains Vitamins and mineral which prevent diseases and also increase the body metabolism. Not only that, fruits also contains water and fiber which aid digestion and ease the passage of faeces from the body. If you don’t have access to fruit in your area, you can still get some fruit juice that contains naturally processed fruits and not sugar coated juice.
  • 5. Use fomentation:
    You can also cope and manage the harmattan period by applying fomentation on your skin, leg, arm especially anytime you want to sleep during the night and day when the cold condition is intense and cold. Some people do rub their babies with mild fomentation after bathing the kids in the morning; it keeps them warm and prevent diseases.
  • 6. Bath with warm water:
    one of the ways you stay healthy during harmattan period is to bath with warm water in the morning and night. This will keep the body warm and free of cold and other flu symptoms. You can also bath little children with warm water as well, it also keeps them warm and prevent the children from contacting flu or other related disease.
  • 7. Avoid cold drinks:
    Harmattan period is not a time of drinking cold drinks but a period where hot water or warm drink is preferred. Cold drinks or cold water during harmattan period is not healthy because it may lead to cough, flu, sore throat, catarrh etc.
  • 8. Stay Indoor:
    Harmattan is a harsh condition and to stay healthy and keep warm during this condition, you need to stay in-door if you don’t have anything to do outside. The condition contains cold, dry and dusty wind but staying in door will help you stay healthy and safe.
  • 9. Drink Hot tea:
    You can also stay healthy or live healthy during harmattan period is to occasionally drink hot substance like tea probably in the morning and night. It keeps you warm and free of flu or other cold related diseases.In conclusion, the health tips listed above are the different ways you can keep yourself safe. You just need to stay indoors, drink hot tea, avoid cold drinks, bath with warm water, eat fruits, take vitamin supplements, use Vaseline and wear thick clothing materials.