With
the onslaught of El Niño and the summer
season fast approaching, an expert advises farmers to take necessary
precautions against heat stroke.
Dr. Raul V. Destura, an
internal medicine and infectious disease specialist, says that heat stroke is
one of the most common health risks among farmers who work under the scorching
heat of the sun.
According to Dr.
Destura, heat stroke, also known as sun stroke, is a severe heat
illness with body temperature that is greater than 40.6 °C (105.1 °F), mostly
due to environmental heat exposure.
“Most of the time, heat
stroke becomes unnoticed or undiagnosed among the rural health units,” Dr.
Destura said.
He added that people who
experience this are sometimes thought of as “na-maligno” or under the control
of a superficial creature when in fact, altered mental state or behavior is one
of the symptoms of this illness.
Other symptoms of heat stroke
include an alteration in sweating, nausea and vomiting, flushed skin, rapid
breathing, racing heart rate, and headache.
“If it’s heat stroke, your
skin is dry. If you’re over-exercised, you get a moist skin,” Dr. Destura
clarified.
Immediate interventions for
heat stroke is to get the person into shade or indoors, remove excess clothing,
keep him hydrated, and cool him with whatever means available.
This may include putting the
person in a cool tub of water or shower, spraying with garden hose, or sponging
cool water. Placing ice packs or wet towels on the person’s head, neck,
armpits, and groin is also a measure that can be done.
Meanwhile, rice farmers are
also highly exposed to respiratory ailments especially during the harvest
season when they get to inhale dust particles from threshing. This may also
cause allergies and skin infections.
Chemical exposure from the
wrong use of pesticides is also risky. Dr. Destura, therefore, advises farmers
to use protective equipment such as facemasks and gloves.
Considering these health
risks, Dr. Destura strongly recommends that occupational health risks “must be
comprehensively integrated in rice farming management.” He encourages a
multidisciplinary approach that includes health of the farmers.
Mechanized farming is also
one of his suggestions to reduce biological risks with proper training and
machine maintenance to avoid mechanical accidents.
Lastly, he encourages farmers
to consult a doctor immediately if they have any health concern. Dr. Destura
also emphasized that doctors and health experts must direct their studies to
practical applications that benefit the health of the farmers.
“We need to generate
agricultural productivity without too much compromise on our farmers’ health,”
he ended.
Dr. Destura’s talk on “Health
Risks in Rice Farming” was featured in a seminar-series at the Philippine Rice
Research Institute (PhilRice) earlier this year. He is currently the Chair of
the Institutional Biosafety and Biosecurity Committee of UP Manila.(PhilRice news)
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