August marks the end of summer and the beginning of autumn. August 7th was the first day of Autumn this year. We can expect temperatures to begin to drop and the human body to go through a transition to reach a balance again. Following are some tips on how to preserve health during the transition. 

Weather

The turn of autumn features chilly weather in early morning and late night, but heat still lingers during the daytime. Summer has not totally faded out. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the beginning of autumn features Yin taking over and marks the time for everything to ripen. It’s also the time for the body to go through an internal transition to reach a new balance. 

Health preservation in August 

Although Autumn has not yet fully taken over, summer heat is fading out. The temperature gap between day and night will be widening, and one will feel cool during sleep. However, it will get increasingly windy and rainy and the weather will be fickle. Entering the fall, the human digestive function will be weakened, as will immunity. If one does not pay attention, diarrhea can occur. Infants and young children are vulnerable to diarrhea at this time. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that it’s dry in autumn, which impairs people’s energy flow, causing tiredness of the whole body. 

People should keep early hours during  the beginning of autumn and adhere to the laws of nature. Early to bed can help the lungs maintain their normal functions. The changeable weather requires no heavy clothes, which might weaken the body’s adaption to chilly temperature and cause colds. 

Grains began to mature at the beginning of autumn, and fruits and vegetables are also in relatively good supply. People should eat fresh food to fight the dry weather, such as sesame, glutinous rice, honey, lily, tremella, loquat and dairy products. Spicy, fried and dried food should be avoided to reduce the impact of the dryness on the body. Appropriate exercise should also be taken to enhance physical strength.

The dry weather can easily cause sore throats, which can be avoided by drinking enough water. Good sleep habits help too. Long exposures to air-conditioned environments and smoking should be avoided. Teenagers should actively participate in outdoor physical exercise to ward off cold and other respiratory diseases and enhance their immunity.

Bacterial dysentery frequently occurs in autumn and is highly contagious. The main symptoms are high fever, headache, nausea, abdominal pain, abdominal distension, and yellow stool. Severe cases can lead to dehydration shock and electrolyte disorder.

Therefore,maintaining good health habits is the key to avoiding the disease. Because the lingering high temperatures may easily cause food to go bad, and as many edible raw vegetables are available,it’s necessary to wash hands before eating. Raw vegetables should be thoroughly washed, and rotten food should be avoided. More attention must be paid to the oral health of all family members.