The weather is cooler every night during Bailu. Learn about these disease prevention and health knowledge

On September 8, we ushered in the "White Dew" solar term, which is the first solar term in September. Dew is the small water balls condensed by water vapor near the ground when it gets cold at night. It is called "White Dew" because of its white color.

"On the night of the White Dew and the Autumnal Equinox, the temperature gets colder every night." After the White Dew, the temperature difference between morning and evening increases. If you don't keep warm in the morning and evening or eat improperly, you are prone to being affected by wind, cold and dampness and catching a cold. Patients with chronic diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, gastrointestinal diseases, and peptic ulcers are also prone to induced or aggravated conditions at this time. So, how should we prevent diseases and maintain health during the "White Dew" solar term?

Prevention: To prevent cardiovascular disease, you need to measure blood pressure frequently

Many people have very good blood pressure in the summer and don't even need to take medicine, but in the fall, blood pressure fluctuates greatly, making accidents more likely to happen. The sudden change in temperature can easily cause the human blood vessels to change from expansion to relative contraction and from contraction to expansion, which is a threat to people with cardiovascular diseases.

In autumn, you should monitor your blood pressure. Generally speaking, there are 5 key time points in a day to monitor changes in blood pressure. First, in the early morning, just after waking up but before getting out of bed, the blood pressure fluctuates greatly; second, around 10 a.m., this time point can reflect the changes in blood pressure after taking the medicine; third, around 2 to 3 p.m., this time period can reflect the rebound of blood pressure; fourth, around 6 p.m., this time point can reflect the control of blood pressure after taking antihypertensive drugs; fifth, before going to bed, around 10 to 11 p.m., this time point can roughly reflect the changes in blood pressure at night.

Secondly, the number of times blood pressure is measured each day may vary from person to person. Generally speaking, it is sufficient to measure blood pressure about twice a day at the above time points.

Clothing: Do not expose your body and wear more clothes

"Eighteen basins in the beginning of heat, don't expose your body during the White Dew", "Don't expose your body during the White Dew, or you will catch a cold and have diarrhea", "Don't expose your body during the White Dew, remember this in the morning and evening", it is easy to catch a cold if you are shirtless after the White Dew. It is best to wear long-sleeved clothes, don't be shirtless to cool down, and keep your feet and abdomen warm when you sleep at night.

Food: Don’t just take supplements, pay attention to nourishing the lungs and moistening dryness

Autumn corresponds to the lungs, so you should pay attention to nourishing your lungs during the White Dew season. You cannot just take supplements during the White Dew season. It is recommended that you eat a vegetarian diet that is light, easy to digest, and rich in vitamins. Eat more pears, honey, lilies, wolfberries, radishes, soy products, etc., and eat more orange-yellow vegetables, such as pumpkins and carrots.

In addition, you can eat more green leafy vegetables to supplement vitamin C. Such as kale, spinach, cauliflower, etc. At the same time, in the white dew season, drinking a bowl of porridge in the morning can prevent autumn dryness, such as white fungus porridge, lotus rice porridge, sesame porridge, red date porridge, sweet potato porridge, corn porridge, etc.

You should try to eat less hairtail, crabs, shrimps, leeks, raw and cold foods, pickled vegetables, and overly sweet, fatty and greasy foods.

Accommodation: Don’t be too cold at night, soak your feet in warm water

At the beginning of Bailu, the weather is getting colder and colder. Some people experience symptoms such as cold hands and feet, fear of cold limbs, and fatigue. These are manifestations of insufficient kidney qi, so you should pay attention to nourishing kidney qi after Bailu. At this time, you can insist on soaking your feet at night. Use warm water. The water should cover your ankles. Soak for 15 to 30 minutes. It is best to soak until your body is slightly warm. While soaking your feet, rub your ears and waist to warm them up. The kidney opens up to the ears, and the ears have dense reflex areas, which are connected to every organ in the body. Therefore, rubbing the ears often is a good way to maintain health.

Action: Exercise more to achieve harmony between movement and stillness

After the White Dew Festival, it is a good season to exercise. The choice of sports should be different for each person. You should do it according to your ability and persevere. The elderly can take a walk, jog, practice Tai Chi, and do self-massage, while the young and middle-aged can run, play ball, dance, and climb mountains. While doing the above exercises, you can also combine some "quiet exercises", such as exhaling, closing your eyes and resting your mind, to achieve harmony between movement and stillness.

This work is original to "Science Popularization China - Masters Talk on the Frontiers of Science and Technology". Please indicate the source when reprinting.