Cardiovascular diseases patients, asthmatics, diabetics and all the other chronical patients, find summertime difficult due to the fact it brings additional problems apart from the already existing ones
{mosimage}„Doctor, summer does not do me good, at all, I am looking forward to wintertime!“. How many times can you hear this sentence in a doctor’s ordination, most often said by chronic patients?!? Chronic patient is a patient who suffers from a chronical disease characterized by a long term period of latency and has a functional damage or disabled of some organs or organ systems. How much these chronical diseases are in increase, we can see from the data issued by the World Health Organization on costs rating up to hundreds of billions of US dollars, related to treatment or prevention of these diseases. Chronic diseases are more widely spread in low developed countries.
The leading chronical diseases today are: cardiovascular, malign diseases, diseases of major body glands (as for example diabetes), respiratory diseases, etc.
For an example, high humidity rate during summer months may cause more severe and intense pains in chronic patients, such as patients suffering from neurological diseases like multiple sclerosis, suffer from heavier problems in hot summer months. Asthmatics usually suffer from increased attacks due to increased density of air pollution and pollen. Sudden changes of air pressure cause air activities resulting in increased concentration of so called ions killers, positively electrified air ions which is connected to the increased number of suicides in psychiatric patients.
It is well known that cardiovascular patients have difficulties in summer heats and that hypertonics suffer from wide range of blood pressure variations because of vasodilatation (widening) of blood vessels, ending in blood pressure drops. Low blood pressure causes vertigo, dizziness, sickness and heart beating too strong. The changes of blood pressure values is not only unpleasant, but also dangerous as it may cause cerebrovascular insult, so the therapy must be adjusted, including consuming light food such as fish, vegetables, fruit, etc, and avoiding fat food. The essence of high air temperature is increased loss of liquid and the attempt of our body to protect itself by cooling through vasodilatation of blood vessels resulting in blood pressure decrease because of electrolyte loss and the change of blood positioning in widen blood vessels.
Apart from cardiovascular diseases patients, most endangered chronical patients are pulmonary patients, particularly asthmatics and patients suffering from COPD (chronically obstructive pulmonary disease). In summertime, pollen values in air are increased and in combination with summer storms and rain, there comes so called ‘’temperature inversion’’ when the colder air stays closer to the ground reacting as a cover, keeping high concentration of allergens. The moisture breaks pollen into smaller particles which more easily penetrate deep inside the lungs. Asthmatics spend more oxygen from artery blood, so partial oxygen pressure in blood decreases leading to suffocating and faster breathing. Warm, summer air also leads to bronchospasm and collecting the mucus in respiratory ways bringing to asthmatic attacks.
Diabetics should check glykemia more often, as well as liquid consuming, but most important is to adjust insulin dosage (lower the dosage). If the results show higher than 16 mmol/l, swimming is recommended, while if it is lower than 8,5 mmol/l , carbohydrates should be consumed before swimming.
Rheumatics should exercise and sunbathe on warm sand, while putting medical mud is always useful. If travelling in hot summer days, it is recommended to take air-conditioned ways of transport, early in the morning or late afternoon because of more moderate temperatures, but never forget to take a bottle of water with you!
Finally, more positive thoughts. The latest scientific researches show that persons suffering from chronical diseases, such as cardiovascular, respiratory, or diabetes, may most probably live a long life and find themselves alive in a pretty old age! So, do not despair if you are chronic patient. Quality health control and discipline in medical treatment may lead you to the age of one hundred!
Dr Rastko Radović,
Internal medicine specialist
