Potential health risks during the festive season

You may have your Christmas menu already planned, your tree decorated, your presents wrapped and your travel bags ready for an upcountry ride, but have you thought about the potential health risks that you may be exposed to during the festive season?

As Christmas and the New Year moods catch-up with many people across the country, there are a few tips  that you need to have at your fingertips to stay healthy.

Below is a list of the dos and don’ts that you should keep in mind during this season: 

TRAVEL 

It is crucial to take note of potential health risks that travelling either long or short distances out of your comfort zone brings.

Generally, the use of prophylaxis against some ailments like malaria and cholera is of importance if one is traveling to areas prone to these diseases or experiencing  disease outbreaks.

However, just like prescription medication, these prophylaxis need to be prescribed by a professional doctor.

“It is very important to carry with you malaria prophylaxis and other protective items like repellents and nets as well as observe simple protective techniques like wearing clothes that cover you,” says Dr Osur.

For the malaria drugs, he notes that they should not be bought from chemists without a doctor’s prescription.

“The mistake many people tend to do is walk into a chemist and buy ACTs, not knowing that the ACT is used to treat and not prevent malaria,” he continues.

“Ensure that you avoid self-prescribed medicines at all costs because these prophylaxis should be prescribed according to your needs.”

Lancet Kenya guidelines on avoidance of mosquito bites in children, indicates that Mosquito repellents containing DEET (N,N-diethyl-3- methylbenzamide), are useful for protection during outdoor activities.  These repellants should be applied to exposed skin surfaces and repeated after 4-6 hours, according to the manufacturers’ instructions.

In infants and young children, insect repellents should be applied to exposed skin sparingly for a number of reasons, including the relatively large body surface area compared to the body weight in this age group. Long (preferably light coloured) clothing should be worn to minimise the amount of exposed skin.

Yellow fever vaccine is also one of the considerations that those intending to travel to endemic countries in Africa and South America should consider. 

PREGNANT WOMEN

It is commonplace for pregnant women to take care of their health at all times to ensure that both the mother and child are in tiptop health. And like everyone else, pregnant women too want to enjoy the festive season.

For starters, reproductive health expert, Dr Joachim Osur, says less alcohol, consumption of lots of water and proper diet are the basic mantras for staying healthy.

“If you have to travel, try and avoid malaria endemic regions and avoid having food poisoning,” advises Dr Osur.

“Give your body the chance to digest smaller meals. That way, you will be able to enjoy festive food without suffering from indigestion or heartburn later on.”

Do not exert too much pressure on your body, says Dr Osur. Instead,  accept offers of help by letting other people carry the shopping and do the cooking.

It is easy to forget to keep your fluid levels topped up when you are rushing around or are out of your usual routine, something that should not happen. It is therefore advisable to always have some water at hand.

“If travelling long distances, pregnant women should make sure that they travel smart by keeping adequate snacks, fruits and water with them, as traffic snarls during festivities can test one’s patience and hunger,” explains Dr Osur.

It is also important to avoid crowded places, as the crowd can be boisterous and unruly during festivals and one needs to protect themselves from any unnecessary harm.

“Avoiding noisy events is necessary because extremely high decibel of sound can be dangerous for one’s pregnancy.”

He, however, notes that if the pregnancy is in its danced stages (above 34 weeks), it will not be advisable to travel. 

ROAD SAFETY 

If you are traveling alone as an adult, any time is road trip time.  However, if you have children and have not hit the road by 6 pm, postpone the trip to the next day. Anthony Mwangi, Red Cross Society of Kenya’s spokesman, highlights that travelling during the day helps you monitor the child or children at the back of the car.

“While driving at night, the light in the car is often switched off for a better view of the road ahead. But in so doing, the child will not be attended to. Therefore, as a parent, always intend to arrive at your destination by 6 pm,” advises Mwangi.

Further, all children above three years should be in a baby seat and strapped at the back seat.

“A child held by a parent or guardian at the front is highly exposed to fatal accidents as opposed to those strapped at the back. It is a law commonly broken by many parents. Some even drive with them on the driver’s seat, which is wrong,” he adds. 

Mr Mwangi also says that stop overs during the journey should be exercised with caution. “At no point should a child be left strapped and locked in the back seat. Change in temperatures inside the vehicle where windows are rolled up can cause suffocation that can either result in fainting or death.”

Finally he says that there is need to have a well-equipped firstaid kit with basic first aid equipment in your vehicle.

“Ensure that there are gloves, bandages, scissors, safety pins, over-the- counter pain killers, antiseptic among other essentials needed to do a first aid. In addition, ensure there is sufficient water for rehydration for people in the vehicle,” advises Mwangi. 

THE WATER YOU DRINK & FOOD YOU EAT

When the year begins, resolutions such as to lose weight are top on the list of most people. However, by December –either having lost weight or added a few kilos—the holiday season seems too attractive to put any guard on the food and alcohol intake. Therefore, you are likely to take larger portions of ugali, fatty roasted meats with fewer vegetables or fruits on the plate.

Such heavy meals can lead to indigestion. Further, more energy is required to digest the food which may in turn cause fatigue and drowsiness.

As you prepare to travel upcountry, confirm that you either carry water treating tablets or have the water that you will be drinking boiled to avoid waterborne diseases like cholera and typhoid.

And while at it, make sure that you always eat freshly prepared food to avoid food poisoning.

While it is common place for residents of urban places to store left overs in the fridge, many may not have that luxury when at their rural homes and therefore, to avoid having stomach upsets and diarrhoea, Dr Osur advises that people should be keen on what they eat at all times.

“Cook enough food that will be eaten and finished in one day because food can easily be contaminated,” he advises.

But food is not the only thing Kenyans will line up on their tables. Celebrations are built around alcohol (including the traditional homemade brew) and this holiday season will not be any different. This presents the possibility of binge drinking which comes with its complications to the user.

The body can process one unit of alcohol every hour. Two large glasses of wine for instance, are equivalent to around six units of alcohol. This is five times alcohol more than the body can process.

For those who will drink during the holiday season, they can surpass the eight glasses of water so as to keep hydrated, advises the National Authority for the Campaign against Drug Abuse (Nacada).

“When you drink, your body loses water quickly this could be through sweating or urinating a lot. Therefore, there is need to replenish the water balance in your body to tackle the dehydration,” said a counsellor from Nacada,  who requested anonymity.

Avoid drinking any type of alcohol on an empty stomach as the alcohol irritates the stomach lining and will overwork the liver. Unlike men, women, have a lower tolerance for alcohol and therefore, the effect of the same amount of alcohol with men will have adverse effects on women.

The counsellor warns women not to take more than three drinks a day or seven in a week while for men, it should not be more than four drinks on any day or 14 drinks in a week.

“You can still have fun without taking alcohol, you can take soft drinks and juices. Alcohol is like a poison with harmful consequences to the body,” he says.

People who should stay away from alcohol include expectant women, individuals taking prescription or over-the-counter medications that can interact with alcohol, people with conditions such as liver disease or pancreatitis as well as other chronic illnesses. 

SWIMMING 

The World Health Organisation has ranked drowning as the third leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, accounting for seven per cent of all injury-related deaths. Children and individuals with increased access to water are most at risk of drowning.

It is therefore important for parents travelling to the coastal region for holidays and to hotel destinations, where children can access a swimming pool, to be extra vigilant. Guardians and parents are advised to ensure that whether at the pool or at the beach, there is the presence of a life guard in case of emergency.

Maureen Kanyango, a swimming instructor at Braeburn School, states that the parent or guardian should strive to shepherd the young children to keep away from deep ends and if possible, go in the shallow end with the young ones and hold them.

“Floaters and life jackets especially on the younger kids are not 100 percent safe and while at the beach, even if the child is a good swimmer, they should not be allowed to go too deep,” Maureen says.

While at the Coast, it is advisable to check on the ocean tides, time of the day that they are strongest and pay key attention on the wind. Children are also prone to injuries at crowded pools and beaches.

“You will have people doing backflips and diving in the pool and this may result to accidents. Also, discourage the children from doing such in a swimming pool” counsels Kanyango.

At all times, the parent/guardian’s eyes should be on the children and ensure they are together at the same place. 

CHRONIC ILLNESSES

Parties are inevitable in this festive season, and there is always a banquet to devour. However, for patients with Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) like diabetes, hypertension, sickle cell anaemia among others, there is always a temptation to cheat ones way to try out different types of food. 

But doctors advise that there is need for this category of patients, especially those with diabetes, to strictly adhere to their prescribed diet. Most importantly, and like everybody else, you should try as much as possible to avoid food poisoning.

“Food poisoning will affect the blood sugar control in diabetics. A patient with any NCD should carry adequate drugs when travelling upcountry to avoid running out of these essential drugs without which, they can plunge into a medical crisis,” says Dr Richard Kuria, a general physician.

Dr Kuria further advises patients to take note of epigastric pain. This is pain that is localised to the region of the upper abdomen immediately below the ribs. Often, those who experience this type of pain feel it during or right after eating or if they lie down too soon after eating.

Whereas this pain is mostly associated with heartburns, Dr Kuria advises that anyone who experiences it should seek medical attention.

“Not all epigastric pains is heartburn from foods and alcohol- in a diabetic or hypertensive, it could be an impending heart attack particularly if the blood pressure is uncontrolled.”  says Dr Kuria. 

ORGAN TRANSPLANT FOOD AND DRUGS

You might have just had that organ transplant, and among other drugs administered, the key immunosuppressant Tacrolimus. This prevents the rejection of the new organ by the recipients’ body. Experts advise a key note on the food based on natural way of lifestyle that most organ recipients tend to lean on for a better living.

Alo-vera juice and grapefruit have been cited to alter the levels of tacrolimus in the body. These two interact with tacrolimus. Dr Ahmed Twahir a nephrologist at Aga khan University Hospital told Healthy Nation that Aloe Vera has a chance of doubling or tripling the tacrolimus levels in the system of an organ recipient.

“Too much tacrolimus is poisonous to a new organ. The toxicity might cause it to fail. Don’t take anything without discussing with your doctor.  Don’t assume you can take anything,” says Dr Twahir.

A patient is asked to stick to a regular schedule of taking drugs, keeping in mind meal times as well. For instance, taking drugs on an empty stomach results in higher absorption of any key component of the drug and consequently, the levels go higher. On the other hand, on a full stomach after meals, the absorption is low hence the levels go lower. One is to stick to before or after meals or as advised by the doctor.

“Take your medication at the exact prescribed time. If it is meant to be taken before lunch or after,” says Dr Twahir.

Reported by Elizabeth Merab, Eunice Omollo, Verah Okeyo and Eunice Kilonzo