Surviving the Sinulog, healthwise

CEBU, Philippines - The Sinulog is one of Cebu’s biggest tourist magnet, attracting millions of devotees and revelers alike.

Together with the festivity are common health problems ranging from easily treatable conditions like diarrhea, to more serious forms of sunstroke made even more complicated with pre-existing medical conditions being suffered by a devotee hoping for one form of miracle or the other.

It is wise for those who plan to join the revelry to arm themselves with even the most basic knowledge on some of the most common ailments. Allow us to share some of these common ailments with you.

Diarrhea

Diarrhea can be triggered by a variety of reasons, foremost of which is the consumption of suspiciously prepared street food like balut, kwek-kwek, barbecue, and “chicken joy.” Some of the conditions blamed on ill-prepared food are diarrhea, toxoplasmosis (parasites that could affect even the brain), typhoid, and hepatitis.

Despite the knowledge that street foods are potential health time bombs, we just can’t help indulging from time to time.

So, if you can’t avoid street food this Sinulog season, check out the person doing the cooking. Is he mixing your food with the money or would he go the extra mile of ensuring that your food is prepared well? Also make sure that it is well cooked and that the utensils used are clean.

Sunstroke and heat exhaustion

Sunstroke is common most especially among our ageing and younger devotees who are prone to dehydration (which will be discussed later) and are extremely sensitive to heat.

With the main procession held at high noon and the grand parade scheduled at a time when the sun is at its peak, incidence of sunstroke is very likely. According to pdrhealth.com, symptoms of sunstroke would include extremely high body temperature (38.9O C or higher); hot and dry skin; sudden dizziness, weakness, or faintness; sudden headache; rapid heartbeat; muscle cramps; vomiting; and even coma.

A much lesser serious condition would be heat exhaustion, the symptoms of which includes headache; muscle cramps; body temperature up to 39O C; cool, pale, and clammy skin; nausea; fatigue and weakness; dizziness and lightheadedness; and possible fainting.

To avoid getting heat exhaustion or even sunstroke, drink plenty of water before and during the procession; bring an umbrella with you to shade you from the sun’s dehydrating heat, making sure to also bring a pinch of consideration and understanding since it is expected that the procession would be heel to heel, literally; wear loose-fitting and light-colored clothes; and most importantly, avoid drinking coffee and alcoholic beverages before or during the procession.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a very common condition encountered during the Sinulog celebration because of hours of walking under the heat of the sun. According to a PubMed Health article of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, dehydration can be caused by excessive sweating, excessive urine output, fever, and vomiting or diarrhea.

In order to avoid getting dehydrated, avoid diuretics or drinks that would cause you to urinate often like alcoholic drinks, coffee, and tea. It is also wise to drink plenty of fluids, and should one be experiencing diarrhea, electrolyte solutions are advised. Sports drinks and other sugary drinks like soft drinks and ready-to-drink fruit juices contain lots of sugar, which could worsen diarrhea, so better avoid them if you can.

Sore muscles

Muscle soreness happens most especially when one is not used to walking long distances, and considering the absence of public transport, it is expected for a Sinulog reveler to do more hiking than he/she usually does on a regular day. This sudden extra work on one’s muscles cause microtrauma to muscle fibers resulting in what physical therapists would call as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

Yes, one may not experience the soreness until a day or two after. That is expected, the reason why it is better to prepare oneself for the strenuous walk. Do some gentle stretching before leaving for the procession and while you are at it, warm up your muscles by moving your joints and sweating it out a little. After the walk, do some cool down with gentle stretching. Cooling down is simply doing light movement or exercise for five to ten minutes, like rotating body segments starting from the ankle.

Take a rest after, elevate your legs, and applying some ice to your leg and thighs. If there’s a noticeable inflammation or edema especially on the lower extremities (legs and feet), do gentle massage starting from the extremity segment closest to the body going up, then proceeding with the next segment after.

Urine talk

Urinary tract infection, kidney stones, and other conditions affecting body organs concerned with urination can result from holding your urine for an extended period of time.

Although it would require habitual holding before one experiences discomfort, still, especially for those who has a history of urinary tract ailments, it is never wise to hold it in. But the festivity surrounding the Sinulog may prove to be quite a challenge when it comes to finding a clean place to relieve yourself, and so, you will be forced to hold it in for hours as you walk the stretch of Osmeña Boulevard and navigate the labyrinth of people.

To prevent this, drink plenty of water and if you feel the urge of urinating, find a way to relieve yourself. For women, remember to wipe after, from front to back. It is wise to always bring a wet tissue with you and a toilet seat sanitizer, widely available in supermarkets, pharmacies, and health and beauty shops.

Sure, one’s goal in joining the Sinulog is to fulfill a religious obligation and at the same time to have fun, but you don’t have to experience any inconvenient health dilemmas after the festivity. To ensure this, try our simple suggestions.

Visit the writer’s blog, Tribo’s Cup, at tribong-upos.xanga.com. Comments, reactions, questions? Write to Ritche at [email protected]  or follow him on twitter at @tribong_upos. (FREEMAN)