Skip to main content

Health expert warns farmers against heat stroke


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)

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

PIDS expert says income tax cuts justified; warns gov’t of revenue loss

Proposals to amend the personal income tax schedule appear to be well-justified. However, these proposals should include measures that will allow government to recover the revenue loss from lower income taxes. Dr. Rosario Manasan, senior research fellow of state think-tank Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), said at a seminar sponsored by the Philippine Senate, that government should look for new revenue measures to compensate for the projected revenue loss that will arise as a result of the implementation of any of the various proposals to restructure the personal income tax. Currently, there are several income tax reform proposals pending in both houses of Congress. All of them, according to Dr. Manasan, have the same objective of addressing the phenomenon of bracket creep, which results from “non-indexation to inflation of personal income tax brackets”. Simply put, bracket creep occurs when employees’ income increases over time as a result of inflation. Th

PGIN honors Ilocano heroes of past, present through Heroes Walk

SPO1 Allan Lampitoc Franco of Banna, Ilocos Norte and PO2 Jovalyn D. Lozano of Adams, Ilocos Norte receive a resolution of commendation, a certificate of college scholarship grant to their family members and a P20,000 cash incentive each from the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte represented by Governor Imee R. Marcos and Vice Governor Angelo M. Barba in recognition of their bravery and heroic acts in the Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao on January 25. Mr. Franco and Mr. Lozano were recognized on March 10 in time for the unveiling of the second batch of Ilocano heroes at the Heroes Walk located along the Sirib Mile in Laoag City.  (Lei Adriano) By Jennifer T. Pambid PGIN-CMO In honor of the heroes who brought freedom, fame and glory to the province as well as to the country in the past century, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN) through the Education Department and Sirib Youth Office launched the second batch of Ilocano Heroes Walk on March 10, 2015.