El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) or most commonly known as El Niño, is an extreme climate condition with excessive warm temperature usually resulting to drought. Basically, though there is no comprehensive explanation as to why El Niño occurs; it can be simply described as a result of the movement of warm surface water from one part of the pacific region to another one. Thus, southern oscillation or the seesaw pattern of air pressure takes effect. When there is high pressure on one part of the region, the other is expected to have a low pressure and vice versa.

Since the air pressure and ocean temperature simultaneously change, it also affects the earth temperature. That can somehow explain why we are experiencing El Niño or the sudden heat up. Usually, El Niño enters our country’s area of responsibility during the month of December and lasts for at least 6 to 7 months but its effect starts to be visible on the month of May. Now that we can obviously see and feel the presence of El Niño at this early month of the year, we have to make ourselves aware of the things that it may cause to us, most especially to our health.

Due to the heat wave brought by El Niño phenomenon, our body temperature rises which may lead to occurrence and aggravate existing medical conditions. Here are some of the heat-related illnesses:

• Heat Cramps

Whenever our body is tired due to intense work out or any physical activity, the hot temperature of the environment can affect and cause pain to our muscle condition. When a person profusely sweat, his body can excessively loss sodium chloride and water. Such imbalances of fluids in the body can definitely result to a serious illness or condition.

• Heat Exhaustion

Severity of heat cramps can lead to heat exhaustion. When there is continuous exposure to heat, our body struggles to maintain its normal temperature and it may lead to heat exhaustion. Dizziness, profuse sweating, nausea and headache are just some of the signs and symptoms that may be observed from a person experiencing a heat exhaustion. Also, one may also feel a sudden muscle weakness due to heat exhaustion.

• Heat Stroke

When heat exhaustion is left untreated, there is a great possibility that it will lead to a life-threatening condition- heat stroke. It is a heat-related illness that can be treated relatively easy by taking the person away from the warm temperature or heat exposure and replacing the lost fluids in the body. However, when heat stroke aggravates, the excessive heat in the body can worsen medical conditions such as heart and kidney ailments.

Everyone is at risk of heat-related diseases but, there are some who are in a greater risk. Children, older people and those who are overweight and ill are included in the bracket.

Just like some other diseases and illnesses, we can observe preventive measures to ensure that we are safe. 

Drink lots of water 

Keep the water and salt level in the body at its normal level at all times. Too much sweating caused by the hot temperature and humidity can result to excessive loss of fluids in the body. Drink lots of non-alcoholic fluid, sports drink are also recommended to replace the loss salts and minerals in the body. However, it is also important to monitor salt intake because too much of such can affect the circulation of the blood in the body and may lead to hypertension. In the long run, hypertension may elevate to a life-threatening disease called Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Stay in the shade and cool places

No one can estimate as to what extent our body can endure hot condition. Thus, we should not put the cooling system of our body into a test. Stay in cool places as much as possible and prevent prolonged period in heat exposure.

Wear light colors

Wearing clothes that are light in color bounces back the luminosity of the sun thus; it gives a cooler feeling than wearing dark colored ones that absorbs heat. Choose clothes that you are most comfortable with to keep your body in a good condition.

Water is very vital to sustain our optimum health most importantly during El Niño phenomenon. And if we’ve come to realize, there is no better time than today to conserve this natural resource. Facing El Niño phenomenon alongside water shortage is nothing but a crystal clear sign that we have to completely comprehend the current situation of our environment and its health effect. Now that climate change is testing our capabilities, let us make ourselves responsive and get to know more about our conditions and how to deal with it.

References:

http://kidlat.pagasa.dost.gov.ph/cab/ensoadvi.htm