The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : City may face 100-day heat spell

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 04, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

City may face 100-day heat spell

By Divya Ramamurthi

BANGALORE, MARCH 3. Watermelons lining the pavements provide us the first clue that the hot summer months have begun.

For more scientific proof, the meteorologists have spoken. They have warned that there is going to be a heat spell in the city for the next 100 days and that the mercury is going to hover around 37 degrees Celsius. Perhaps, a bit less! They add that March will be a very dry month with rain expected only in late April.

So, how does one keep oneself cool in these months? Kripa Shankar, a skin specialist from Manipal Hospital, suggests that people should wear full-arm light cotton clothes in the beginning of summer. "At this time, the temperature goes up but humidity remains low resulting in dry skin-related problems. Exposing the body by wearing shorts will just aggravate the problems," he says.

He says incidences of itchiness, eczema, a condition in which dry, scaly and deeply fissured skin may bleed, and psoriasis, reddened skin resembling dandruff, also increases. Dr. Shankar says in the hot dry months people should avoid harsh and dry soaps. "They should use gentle skin cleansers or shower gels instead," he says. He also suggests the use of moisturising lotion instead of cream. "The lotion will lubricate the skin but will not clog the pores and prevent it from breathing," he says.

To protect oneself during the humid month of April, when one feels weakened when he walks out of the air-conditioned comfort of the office into the summer sun, Dr. Shankar suggests baggy white coloured cotton attire.

He suggests the use of talcum powder in the webs of the feet and on the back to prevent boils. He adds that people should also avoid using hair oil during these months.

During summer, incidences of heat exhaustion, a condition in which people experience nausea and giddiness because of loss of water, increase. To combat this, doctors suggest drinking a lot of water during the summer months. They say that this will also help prevent dehydration and flush out any bacterial infections.

For those with sensitive skin, doctors suggest sunscreens. "People should wear sunscreen every few hours otherwise it does not provide much help," Dr. Shankar says.

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