HARMATTAN IS HERE. (SOME HELPFUL TIPS)

So Folks, the harmattan season is upon us. Harmattan is here….

And of a truth it happens to be my favorite time of the year, but for this runny nose, headache, incessant sneezing and eye itch, I’m here crying and praying for winter to just come and take over. I don’t want harmattan anymore.

So while I write this post in not the best of moods and health, my dad has been giving me hot water and honey to drink, my mom has been giving me cappuccino with Ultima C and Vitamin C for sides, my sisters went to bring this capsule for me to take. As long as I feel better, ain’t no overdose fam.

Moving on, I’ve drank and I’m still drinking, and nothing seems to work, so I’m on Google right now browsing on how to stop this ish. And I been seeing many medical jargons and stuffs, I’m going to share with you some of these useful tips tho, It might be helpful yunno.
Meanwhile, I have put them in simple numbering format.


Here goes:
The negative effects of harmattan haze include dry skin, cracked lips and soles of the feet. And to avert this discomfort, individuals should avoid attitudes that might trigger these conditions.
1. You need to be well hydrated during this period, and use emollient (the big English simply means normal cream or balm) creams which help in moisturizing the skin. Adequate fluid intake can also prevent heatstroke. If one has bad cracks on the skin, there is the need to wear clothes that would cover the feet and other parts of the body prone to dryness. It is very necessary to wear appropriate cloths.

2. Harmattan can also predispose you to asthmatic attacks, sneezing and coughing. There is plenty of dust, pollen and hay fever, which cause irritation, inflammation of the airways and triggers allergic reactions. Crust and dryness in the nostrils may also predispose to epistaxis. So to prevent some of these respiratory diseases indoors, we must wash our curtains, clean our windows, fans and air conditioner filters, and avoid fluffy rugs or regularly vacuum clean them. It is advisable to drink lots of water during this period and do stream inhalation, with water not too hot to burn the face, which helps to smooth the airway.

3. It is safer sometimes, to wear sunglasses to protect the eyes, where the winds are quite dusty and harsh, to prevent infections and irritations. The dusty particles in the air can find their way into our eyes and can cause tearing, redness, itching and allergic eye diseases. It is advisable to wash the eyes with clean water and non-medicated protective eye glasses can be used. Doctors might prescribe simple allergic eye drops to relieve uncomplicated allergic eye diseases.

4. Minor nosebleeds, due to breakage of small blood vessels during aggressive sneezing can be healed with little or no First Aid, but if it continues, one must approach a health facility for care, as there could be other causes that must be arrested. Lozenges helps with sore throat, but one must seek proper health care, if symptoms persist.

5. Asthmatic patients must remember to always be with their inhaler and those on medications should be compliant. 

6. During the cold weather, the oxygen content of the blood might be reduced, which can trigger attacks in sickle cell anaemia patients. So, it is advisable to keep warm and wear layers of clothing. Also, the very cold weather can predispose children and the elderly, to hypothermia. So, a closer care and warmth should be provided to these age groups.

7. Moisture drops by 10 to 15 per cent during the harmattan season. Thus, regular washing of hands and body is important to remove settled dust on the skin and use of moisturising creams should also help.

8. The harmattan season overlaps with the meningitis season and with the increased incidence of respiratory diseases, mothers are advised to ensure their children are vaccinated. We must not wait for this period because the positive effects of immunisation are far reaching and protect against diseases we do not know when they would attack.”

9. Harmattan is associated with increased rate of fire outbreaks; therefore, people must avoid bush burning and careless exposure of inflammable materials. “Burn cases are serious, so affected patients must be rushed to the hospital to be rehydrated and treated”. 

10. The harmattan haze is also associated with poor visibility. So, there is increased rate of road accidents in the early and late part of the day. Motorists and road users are advised to be cautious, drive slowly and use their headlamps. Road emergency teams must be alert to respond to unforeseen circumstances (But if you know, you know).

So that is how much I can provide for now from my very porous search. Anyways, the Oweather is hot and cold at the same time, Please how do I manage that nitori olorun?

References: "Harmattan haze and treating side effects" by Paul Adunwoke (22 January 2017,3:28am The Guardian)