The weather in Indonesia has been getting hotter lately. This can cause health problems. Take care of your health with these 4 tips!
Excessive hot weather can also affect human health. Mild and severe health problems are possible to occur. While Indonesia’s condition has been getting hotter lately, some of us may be worried about the health effects and discomfort that may arise.
Maintaining health in this kind of weather is very important to maintain productivity. Try applying the following tips to keep your body fit during the hot weather!
1. Protect the Body from Sun Exposure
First, protect your body from direct sunlight exposure. Sunlight during extreme heat is quite dangerous for humans. Huge UV radiation can cause sunburn, eye damage, and even skin cancer.
To protect the body from sun exposure, wear thin, brightly colored clothing. Avoid wearing black clothes because they absorb heat. To protect your eyes, use sunglasses. Moreover, use an umbrella or a hat when you have to go outside. Also, don’t forget to apply sunscreen with a high SPF on your face, hands, and feet to protect your skin from UV radiation.
It will be better to reduce outdoor activities. Avoid going outside between 10 am and 2 pm when the sun is at its strongest. If you have to go outside, use body protection as described above.
2. Stays Hydrated
When the weather is hot you have to stay hydrated. Drink more mineral water than usual to avoid dehydration. If you exercise, make sure you drink water before, during and after exercise. You can also get water by consuming fruits and vegetables. To prevent dehydration, reduce caffeine consumption because it can trigger loss of body fluids or is a diuretic.
Dehydration must be prevented because it has implications for various health problems. For example, digestive and kidney disorders, loss of consciousness, migraines, and reduced blood volume.
3. Consumption of Nutritious Foods
Extreme hot weather is at risk of causing various health problems. Humans can experience dehydration, heat stroke, respiratory problems, and even death. Therefore, consuming highly nutritious foods is important to maintain immune and energy sources.
There are several nutritious foods that are highly recommended for consumption during hot weather. To maintain endurance, consume more foods that contain vitamin C. It is beneficial for antioxidants. Consume fruits and vegetables such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, watermelon, cucumber, melon, broccoli, cabbage, and papaya.
Furthermore, don’t forget to maintain a balanced intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Carbohydrates can be obtained from rice. If you don’t eat rice, noodles, potatoes, corn and cassava can be an option. To get protein and fat, eat meat, fish, tofu, tempeh, and nuts.
4. Take a Shower But Don’t Too Often
When the weather is hot, the body will sweat more easily and make us feel sticky. When this condition occurs, usually we take a shower more often. However, frequent bathing is not recommended in hot weather. Bathing too often can cause dry skin. In fact, during hot weather, the body needs skin moisture to prevent inflammation and eczema (a chronic skin disorder that causes itching, burning, red, dry, and cracked). Therefore, take a bath as much as 2 times a day.
You should also not take a shower immediately when your body is sweating. Sweat is a response made by the body to adjust body temperature to increasing environmental temperatures. Please wait for the body to stop sweating if you want to take a shower. This is important so that bathing does not interfere with the function of the sweat glands in lowering body temperature.
Furthermore, besides maintaining a healthy body, environmental health must also be considered. A healthy environment will reduce the potential for extreme hot weather which is harmful to our health. To keep the environment healthy, we must prevent climate change from getting worse. We can tackle climate change with environmental restoration actions. A simple way for you to be part of Indonesia’s environmental restoration is to donate to the Green Fund Digital Philanthropy. Check out what environmental actions you can support here!
