Are there health risks to watch out for as El Niño and habagat weather overlap? Expert explains

Welcome to Doctor's Corner, where medical experts from Makati Medical Center will answer health questions from readers! Got a question? Send them over to lifestyle@gmanews.tv.

What are possible health conditions now that El Niño overlaps with habagat?

First, let’s look at how each weather system impacts our health.

During habagat, the Department of Health warns us about diseases easily remembered by the acronym WILD:

• Waterborne diseases (diarrhea, gastroenteritis, cholera, typhoid fever, and rotavirus)
• Influenza
• Leptospirosis
• Dengue

Meanwhile, the high temperatures and humidity of El Niño bring its own set of health issues. Heatstroke is when the body overheats, resulting in confusion, dizziness, and a drop in blood pressure.

Trying to cool the body from extreme heat may cause acute kidney injury and exacerbate chronic heart conditions.

Severe droughts destroy crops, which affects food security, limiting our access to nutritious fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

In some instances, the combination of El Niño and habagat may also lead to weather fluctuations, like when it rains on a very hot day, which usually creates that uneasy malagkit and maalinsangan feeling.

Rain quickly evaporates on hot ground, which can surge humidity. This stops sweat from evaporating, trapping body heat and increases your risk of heat exhaustion.

If you have asthma or a chronic lung condition, you may notice breathing problems when air is humid. High humidity combined with high heat may also cause heart problems, as these conditions force your heart to pump harder to help the body cool down—which can lower blood pressure and increase heart rate.

Does the combination of these two weather systems make us prone to colds, cough, and fever?

It’s important to note that the flu season in the Philippines peaks from June to November, which mainly includes the habagat period.

Even without El Niño, Filipinos are already more susceptible to catching colds, cough, and fever when habagat begins.

As El Niño intensifies rainfall during this season, more people are expected to crowd indoors which can accelerate flu transmission or get drenched in the rain which can lower immunity and make one more vulnerable to getting cough, colds, and fever.

How about our skin?

Fungal and bacterial infections are common in damp and humid conditions. Red, scaly, and itchy patches on the neck, arms, or groin are signs of ringworm, while cracked and peeling skin between the toes are marks of athlete’s foot.

Folliculitis gets its name from the tiny, red pus-filled bumps growing around your hair follicles.

Searing temperatures can lead to a painful sunburn, prickly heat (sweat trapped under the skin, creating small, itchy bumps or blisters), and an acne breakout.

How can we stay healthy amid these changing weather patterns?

Dress smarter by layering, so you can easily adapt to weather changes. You can cover up when exposed to lower temperatures or simply wear light clothing when the weather’s hot and humid.

Whether it’s sunny or rainy or both, stay indoors in a well-ventilated room and limit time outdoors to avoid extreme weather, hydrate regularly, help your body regulate temperature by taking a quick shower, and maintain proper hygiene to combat possible infectious diseases.

If you need to go out, make sure to bring reinforcements—a jacket, a hat, an umbrella, or rain boots—that can help protect yourself from changing weather. If you wade in floods, wash your feet thoroughly when you get home and consult a doctor or your nearest health center to get proper guidance against leptospirosis.

If you haven’t yet, get your annual flu shot. Strengthen your immune system by adding more fruits and vegetables to your meals and taking vitamins. — LA, GMA News