CARE OF CHILDREN DURING THE HARMATTAN SEASON

Harmattan season is usually a dry and dusty period associated with low humidity. Harmattan is a hot, dry and dusty wind that blows from the Sahara Desert into the Gulf of Guinea between November and the middle of March.

 As a result, the weather is harsh to the respiratory tract, hair as well as the skin. Some micro-organisms that cause diseases increase during harmattan period.

Effects of Harmattan

The dry weather conditions associated with harmattan have various health implications on humans, affecting their respiratory system, skin and eyes. There is increase in the number of people coming down with cold and cough to outbreak of a viral infection commonly referred to as flu; Ear, nose and throat are the first to be affected. Harmattan increases cases of respiratory infections such as asthma, cough, catarrh, tonsillitis, influenza, and pneumonia.

It triggers asthma, bronchitis attacks, and even meningitis.

Harmattan also worsens conditions like the sore throat, the dry air taken irritates the throat, allergy (and it worsens) as the voice changes and becomes very croaky. Harmattan also triggers sickle cell crisis in those with sickle cell anaemia. Oxygen in blood is usually reduced in extreme temperatures, like cold. Thus, patients with sickle cell anaemia should take precaution and keep warm as much as possible to prevent a crisis.

Signs and symptoms

Sneezing, cold, cough, catarrh, noisy breathing, fever, cracked lips, cracked skin, epistasix (bleeding from nostrils).

How to prevent effect of Harmattan

Parents should limit their exposure to dust. Curtains should be washed. Air-conditioners should also be serviced to avoid harmattan induced symptoms. Windows and fans should be wiped with wet rags. We should take more liquid; especially water, during harmattan to prevent dehydration and heatstroke. Parents can do steam inhalation for the children. The moisture will help to sooth the nose, sinuses as well as the lungs. Parents should observe and ensure high level of personal hygiene as the infection is often spread from person to person through sneezing and coughing. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting vaccinated each year.

Treatment

Over the counter drugs like antipyretics, analgesics, vitamins and antihistamines are sometimes recommended for symptomatic reliefs. Complications especially by a superimposing bacterial infection are treated with appropriate antibiotics. Bacterial pneumonia, dehydration, asthmatic attacks, sinus problems, ear infections, epistasix and other worsening chronic medical conditions are treated in the hospitals.

How to protect yourself from Harmattan

Bathe Children with warm water. This protects against direct cold, and many children seem to love it! You can also decide to put some Mentholatum on their chests and the soles of their feet at night to stay warm.

With every diaper change, you may want to moisturize their buttocks. Some mothers do this with shea butter. After a warm bath, apply Rub on the sides, chest and feet. This keeps them warm.

The skin can be kept healthy by application of oily creams and weather friendly clothing. Lip balms or the application of Vaseline to the soles of the feet will prevent them from cracking.

Wearing warm clothes will keep you warm and protect us from the severe cold. Proper eye hygiene by rinsing with clean water and reducing the exposure to the dust by wearing protective spectacles is advised.

This is a season to have an extra layer on; usually in the mornings when it is very cold you might want to wear a singlet or undershirt under their clothes. Also let them have a sweater handy at all times and they can cress up or down as the weather gets hotter during the day.

For the girls, please ensure that their hair is made and to keep it moisturized. You might want to let them spend more time in the house at this time to protect them from the dry, dusty air during Harmattan.

Asthma patients should pay special attention to their health and take all possible and practicable measures to reduce exposure to the dusty atmosphere and they should carry their inhalers with them at all times. Sickle cell patients should be vigilant and keep warm as much as possible to prevent crisis.

The weather is very deceptive, this minute, it is very hot, the next minute, it is cold; or the sun is shining, yet there is a chill in the air. Parents need a lot of wisdom when it comes to taking care of their children during harmattan. Give them lots of water to drink and fruits to eat as this help to build their immunity.

Find ways to make warm interesting for them; warm food, warm tea, this is a season to stay away from ice cream and chilled water.

Vitamin supplementation for children to boost their immunity against infections!