What should candidates do to stay healthy during the hot season?

These diseases all affect the health of the community, especially for students who are under a lot of pressure from exams. So what should students do to protect their health during the hot season to enter the exam well?

Exam season - the season of infatuation

When the weather is hot, people who work outdoors, especially students who have to study at high intensity, often have to go home from school at noon, if they do not have protective measures, are very susceptible to heatstroke. When suffering from heatstroke with symptoms such as nausea, dehydration, exhaustion, even fainting... it will significantly affect health, leading to a decrease in learning results. Heatstroke can even lead to a serious condition, endangering life if not treated promptly.

So, when faced with a person suffering from heatstroke, how should we handle it? According to Dr. Tran Minh Thieu - Trung Vuong Hospital - Ho Chi Minh City, the most important measure for a person suffering from heatstroke is to reduce body temperature by immediately moving the victim to a cool, airy place, removing some of their clothes, applying cold compresses with a cool towel or ice to areas where large arteries run close to the skin such as the armpits, groin, neck, giving them cool water mixed with salt or orezol mixed in the right dosage. In case the victim is comatose and cannot drink water or vomits continuously, has a continuously increasing fever, accompanied by symptoms of abdominal pain, chest pain, and difficulty breathing, they must be quickly transferred to the nearest medical facility, but during the transport process, they must still regularly apply cool compresses.

A dangerous complication of heatstroke is shock due to sudden loss of blood flow. Shock can cause damage to body parts if not treated promptly. However, heatstroke is completely preventable by: Not working too long in the sun or in hot environments as well as avoiding excessive physical activities, especially from 10am to 2pm every day. When students have to go to school during those peak hours, they need to be fully equipped with hats, long-sleeved clothes, glasses... They need to drink a lot of boiled water and fruit juice. Students should remember to always carry a water bottle with them so they can drink water regularly. When suffering from heatstroke, do not scrape the wind, do not apply hot oil... After treatment, they should eat easily digestible liquid foods, drink plenty of water, eat more fresh fruits and vegetables...

According to Dr. Nguyen Trung Cap - Central Tropical Hospital, summer is the rainy season, favorable for mosquitoes to breed, so there is often an increase in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue fever. In the summer, the environmental temperature increases, food spoils easily, so the risk of food poisoning can also increase, especially with street food if food hygiene and safety are not ensured. At the same time, diseases transmitted through the digestive tract such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid also often increase in the summer. Or when going out in the hot sun, suddenly entering a cool air-conditioned room, drinking ice water... will easily catch a cold, viral fever... All of these infectious diseases have a significant impact on the health of students if they are unlucky enough to contract them. If the disease is mild, they will have to take a break from school for a while. If the disease is severe, it can lead to complications and treatment will have to be prolonged. Especially dangerous diseases like dengue fever, there is currently no specific treatment. Cases of dengue fever with complications can be very dangerous and even fatal if not treated promptly and properly. Cases of food poisoning can cause patients to have abdominal pain, fever, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea for several days… also affecting health and quality of study.

However, according to Dr. Nguyen Trung Cap, these diseases can also be prevented by proactively preventing mosquito bites, ensuring personal hygiene, and keeping the home and workplace clean. It is necessary to ensure food hygiene and water sources. Wash hands regularly with soap under running water many times a day (for both adults and children). Practice good food hygiene: Eat cooked food, drink boiled water; eating utensils must be washed clean before use. Avoid contact with sick people or people suspected of having the disease...

Dr. Nguyen Trung Cap also believes that the best way to protect health is to increase resistance. Resistance plays a very important role in human health. It is the "weapon" that helps fight viruses and pathogens. When resistance is weak, the body's immune system becomes weak and tired, increasing the risk of infectious diseases. Increasing resistance is not difficult to do. First of all, you need to have the following habits:

Drink plenty of water:You should drink non-alcoholic, non-carbonated drinks, fruit juices, etc. to compensate for dehydration and maintain the amount of water in your body. You should not drink too much cold water.

Limit going out:When the weather is hot, you should not go out unless you have something to do. When you have to go out, you need to take measures to protect yourself from the heat of the summer sun.

Moderate activities:You should eat three main meals and snacks between main meals. Balance your study time, sleep time, and entertainment time. You should not study continuously for many hours. After 45 minutes of studying, relax by listening to music, looking into the distance, walking around, or taking a cool shower. You should also participate in physical activities because it will help your blood circulate well, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your brain, so you will be more alert when studying. Just a few exercises or a walk between classes will also help your blood circulate. In particular, you should not drink coffee because coffee contains stimulants, which are harmful to your health and do not help you stay awake.

Form good sleeping habits:Although studying before the exam is urgent, requiring students to concentrate and spend a lot of time. However, sleep is very important for health and brain concentration. Therefore, students need to get enough sleep, avoid staying up too late as it will have a negative impact on health. Try to ensure enough sleep with at least 7 hours/day. If studying time is too much, consider taking a nap, try to sleep before 11 pm and wake up at 5 am.

Complete nutrition:Providing adequate nutrients and vitamins makes the body healthy and increases resistance. It is necessary to eat enough carbohydrates, however, it is necessary to choose foods that are slowly absorbed in the form of carbohydrates such as whole grains and black bread. Avoid fast-absorbing sugars such as soft drinks, candy, etc. Eat enough fish, meat, eggs, vegetables, fruits, etc. to provide enough fat, vitamins and minerals, etc. You should also eat foods rich in iron, because iron is essential for blood production. Iron deficiency anemia leads to fatigue, poor concentration, and drowsiness during class.

Do not abuse drugs when sick:When you have a cold or other symptoms of illness, you should see a doctor and never buy your own medicine, especially antibiotics. Overuse or misuse of medicine can make the condition worse and last longer.

Minh Chau