HARMATTAN TIED TO RISE IN BP , STROKE, HEART FAILURE

The harmattan is here again. Most parts of the country are already feeling the harsh weather condition. The harmattan is a season in the west African subcontinent, which occurs between the end of November and the middle of March. It is characterized by dry and dusty northeasterly trade wind, of the same name, which blows from the Sahara desert over west Africa into the gulf of guinea. It is cold in most places, but can be hot in some places, depending on circumstances.  It has been shown that during harmattan, humidity drops to as low as 15 per cent , sore throat, sneezing, wet eyes, catarrh and general nasal tract disorder causing great discomfort. Several studies have shown that the dry, cold and dusty wind associated with the harmattan weather can also lead to more complicated disease like rheumatism, cardiac arrest, nose bleeding, arthritis and even death from hypothermia, because the respiratory system suffers greatly when the body is exposed to cold and dry weather. It can also triggers crises in sickle cell patients. Than there are of course the mild challenge like cracking of lips or breaking of lips, sole of the feet, conjunctivitis, dry skin and other. However, according to a recent study published in the journal environ health insight, the cold dusty harmattan is a season of anguish for cardiologists and patients. The harmattan, the cold dusty season in sub–saharan africa, is the season of greates concern for hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, which have demonstrated a seasonal pattern. According to the study, harmattan aggravates and worsens the outcome of blood pressure, stroke, heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases.

Harmattan and cardiovascularc diseases

The researchers led by basil N. Okeahialam said their experience in jos, Nigeria, is that during the harmattan period, blood pressure rises among hypertensives, along with a rise in admissions for congestive cardiac failure and stroke or cerebrovascular accident (CVA). This observation, albeit on hopital cohorts, can be extrapolated to the population. The burden of care on the cardiologist rises, constituting an additional burden, while readmission rates, higher morbidity, and reduced quality of life with attendant high in economic burden constitute further burden for the patient. Occasionally, death results suddenly, leaving the patient in no position to tell his/her story. Particularly among temperature-sensitive subjects, during cold weather, mortality from hypertension is higher, as blood pressure tends to rise. This has already been observed, as our own local experience in jos. This is thought to be a response to thermoregulatory vasoconstriction, which seeks to conserve core temperature. Apart from this, exposure to cold increases the activity, with resultant rise in blood pressure may not become normal again. Also in cold ambient temperatures, sweating is reduced, leading to increased sodium loading, resulting in elevation blood pressure

Harmattan and rise in infections

The researchers noted that in low temperatures, the respithelium loses its first line of defense. There is a proneness to infections primarily viral, which increases platelet stickiness, thrombus formation, and hypercoagulability of the blood due to cytokines and other inflammatory. In people with chronic bronchitis, the acute exacerbations caused by infections acutely upset the pulmonary vascular hemodynamics, placing a heavy burden on the heart.