Variation in temperature may cause health hazards

Rawalpindi: The changes in weather conditions and variation in temperature between day and night after the recent rain spell may cause health threats, mainly mild to moderate for healthy persons but severe complications in case of chronic patients.

Health experts suggest that people in this region of the country should take extra care to avoid health threats at the time of sudden variation in temperature and sharp fall in mercury. Experts say that it is observed that majority of population do not take serious preventive measures to safeguard themselves and their children from health threats at the time of sharp fall in mercury that causes rise in number of cases of colds, sore throat, cough, flu and asthmatic problems in adults and upper and lower respiratory tract infections including pneumonia among children.

Majority of patients with heart diseases, hypertension, high blood pressure and other chronic ailments have to face complications due to bad affects of cold weather mainly because they are unaware of the impact of cold and chilly weather conditions on their health. In winter, vasoconstriction, the narrowing of the blood vessels resulting from contraction of the muscular wall of the vessels may cause complications for patients with coronary heart disease and they should not come out of homes early in the morning or late at night with uncovered nose as it may affect their health badly.

The recent spell of rainfall has cleared the environment of a number of pollutants and decreased pollution level in the air yet it caused sudden fall in temperature particularly at night and early in the morning. People who move at nights may suffer from bad effects of cold weather including body pains if they do not use warm clothing properly, said Additional Medical Superintendent at Holy Family Hospital Dr. Tariq Masood Niazi while talking to ‘The News’.

He added that chronic patients must take extra care if coming out of homes at night or early in the morning and they must cover nose with warm clothing apart from wearing proper warm clothes.

The patients who are suffering from any kind of pollen or weed allergy should avoid dust and avoid using cold water to avoid complications, he added. He said that parents should take extra care in cases of children particularly those going to schools early in the morning when mercury falls to a significant level. Children should be covered in warm clothes in the morning and should not allow use of cold drinks and junk food instead they should be given hot drinks including ‘qehwa’ and ‘yakhni’, he said. Many health experts say that parents should provide quality food to children as malnourished children are more prone to catch winter-related health threats including pneumonia.