Heat: Commissioner advises residents on frequent water intake

The Gombe State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Kennedy Ishaya, on Monday advised the public to drink more water to avert dehydration due to intense heat, especially in the state.
Ishaya gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe.
He said: “These days, the daily temperature in Gombe is 40-41 degree centigrade.
“Certainly, this is above the internal body temperature of a human being.
“This implies that the metabolism inside is going to be changed if you don’t take some measures such as either bringing down the temperature, drinking water frequently or avoiding exposing your body to the sun.”
According to Ishaya, being exposed to the sun for too long will lead to sunburn, especially on albinos, who risk getting skin cancer.
He said: “Once the temperature is getting to 40 degrees, people should go under a shade, drink as much water as possible.
“Albinos children should not be allowed to go into the sun and the adults should wear dresses that will protect them.”
Ishaya said the hot period often enhances certain diseases, including kidney stones, which develops as a result of dehydration and heat stroke, due to lack of enough water.
He also said that some external diseases occur during the period due to changes in the direction of the flow of the wind.
The commissioner listed such diseases as meningitis and conjunctivitis, popularly known as Apollo.
Ishaya said: “These ones are airborne.
“The direction or the movement of the wind these days favour the movements of these bacteria.
“We advise people to always open their windows, allow cross ventilation in the night, do not be crowded in a room.”