Health office warns of summer diseases

DAGUPAN CITY - With the intense heat being felt this summer season, the Provincial Health Office warns of diseases that may be experienced by people especially children.

Nurse Ammiel Carino of the Non-communicable Diseases Unit of PHO, said people who love to frolic under the sun and go to  beaches at this time of the year must be wary of several diseases that could be fatal when not treated adequately.

Heatstroke, when not attended to properly,  could cause much harm including severe dehydration which could result to kidney destruction, Carino said.

Another illness to be monitored is hypertension whereas too much exposure to heat could decrease water in the body and  cause blood pressure to rise.

“Ugaliin nating uminom ng maraming tubig para mapalitan ang nawalang tubig sa katawan natin dahil sa sobrang init,” Carino said during the Pantongtongan Tayo radio program of the Philippine Information Agency. 

Food poisoning is also expected during this time because food spoil easily due to the heat. 

Carino said when in doubt if food is spoiled, people better throw it out otherwise this could result to another disease called diarrhea.

Chicken pox or ‘bulutong’ is also widely monitored during summer so the health office advised parents to have their children immunized. 

Two more cases that are not considered disease but are often associated with heat are sunburn and sore eyes.

“it is always best to wash your hands properly para maalis and mga germs and bacteria at kapag lalabas ng bahay ay magdala ng pamproteketa sa init tulad ng payong at shades,” Carino said. (PIA-Pangasinan)