Ramadan: 10 health tips for Muslims to stay cool amid heatwave

Ramadan, the ninth month in the Islamic calendar, entails a mandatory 29 or 30 days of fasting, where Muslims worldwide abstain from food, drink, and sexual relations from dawn till sunset. 

It’s a private act of worship and the fourth pillar of Islam, aiming for spiritual closeness to Allah and empathy with the less fortunate. 

However, this year, scorching temperatures exacerbated the fasting challenge. Jokes circulated about Nigeria bordering hellfire or inching closer to the sun.

The World Meteorological Organization defines a heat wave as prolonged high temperatures spanning weeks, elevating health risks, even mortality. 

Read also:

• Ramadan: What you can and cannot eat and drink while fasting
• Ramadan: Here’s how Muslim women can delay their menstrual cycles to fast
• Ramadan: When couples can have intercourse
• 7 ways Muslims can prepare for Ramadan fasting

Studies highlight the health dangers of heat stress during fasting, especially for the ill, laborers, and those exposed to direct sunlight.

Here are some ways you can avoid heat-related health issues in the month of Ramadan:

– Stay out of the sun as much as possible.

– Try to avoid any strenuous activity during the daytime.

– If you do have to go out, walk in the shade or use an umbrella, hat or scarf to stay cool.

– Wear loose-fitting clothes.

– When possible, drink plenty of fluids while avoiding soft drinks and sugary products.

– Take cool showers as needed. If you are out and about, use damp cloth or paper towels on your head and neck to stay cool.

– Keep your environment, such as your workspace and living area, cool.

– Take care of young and elderly family members.

– Avoid sitting in stationary cars or leaving anyone to wait in a car that is either turned off or parked in direct sunlight.

– Studies show that the temperature inside a powered off vehicle can be almost twice the outside temperature!

– Avoid any outdoor activities.

– At the first sign of a headache, dizziness, or lack of focus, cramps in the legs or abdomen, immediately move to a cool, shaded place.

– If possible, rehydrate using cool water, not cold water, ice or chilled drinks.

– If you are fasting or otherwise unable to find water, wait for the heat to subside.
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