War on moisture in summer, how do you take care of your health?
Jun 30, 2024
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Humidity is affected by seasons, temperatures, and weather, and summer, when it rains for a long time due to the rainy season front, is directly affected by the high-temperature and humid North Pacific air mass, is the most humid time of the year.
According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, the average annual humidity in Korea is 59-75%, and the humidity in July and August, the summer season, was 78-79%, the highest among monthly average humidity.
Since the appropriate humidity is 40-60% in physical health, more than 60% has several negative effects, so some caution is needed in summer when humidity is high.
When our body is exposed to a hot environment, our body temperature naturally increases and we sweat to lower our body temperature, but high humidity interferes with the evaporation of sweat, making it difficult to control our body temperature.
For this reason, you feel more heat on days with high humidity. If the body temperature remains high, it can produce more sweat, leading to dehydration, or heat exhaustion and heat stroke if you are old or have an underlying disease.
Wear bright, breathable clothes on days with high humidity, maintain moisture in the body through sufficient water intake, and supplement electrolytes through sports drinks if you sweat a lot.
Avoid outdoor exercise as much as possible, and if it is inevitable, use the morning or evening when the temperature is somewhat low. Be careful not to raise your body temperature too high due to outdoor activities, etc., and immediately take water and rest in a cool place if abnormal symptoms appear.
Although invisible to the naked eye, fungi always float in indoor and outdoor air, and when humidity increases, they easily proliferate and cause inflammatory reactions by inhaling fungal spores during breathing, which can lead to asthma, pneumonia, bronchitis, and allergic diseases.
Since the indoor humidity is 40-60%, it is recommended to use dehumidifiers, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers to control humidity, and to use natural ventilation in the morning and evening hours.
Check that there is no leak, and keep spaces with a lot of water, such as bathrooms and kitchens, dry, such as cleaning with dry towels after use.
Bacterial reproduction also occurs easily, so make sure to thoroughly clean your personal hygiene, wash fresh ingredients clean, cook them right away, heat them properly during the cooking process, and pay attention to how to use and store utensils.
If you have symptoms of enteritis such as diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain after eating, it is recommended to hydrate enough to prevent dehydration, fast as much as possible until symptoms disappear, but if symptoms worsen, high fever, or bloody stool appear, visit a medical institution quickly.
Hwang Hye-rim, director of the General Health Examination Center at Daedong Hospital (family medicine specialist), said "As high humidity raises the discomfort index and has a lot of physical and mental effects, we should pay attention to humidity management in our daily lives."If you feel tired, you should find stability through rest, but if you do not recover for a long time, it is better to visit a nearby medical institution and get help from a specialist rather than blame the weather,' he advised.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
