Coping with rising temperatures in Singapore
Published: 28 Oct 2019
Rising temperatures are already affecting Singaporeans. Research Associate Professor Jason Lee from the NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine’s Department of Physiology shared how Singaporeans can cope with it in an episode of the Channel NewsAsia’s Talking Point – “What’s it like living in hot Singapore?”
Assoc Prof Lee shared that staying too much indoors and in air-conditioning is not good for health, adding that it is better to get heat acclimatised instead to cope with rising temperatures.
“Heat acclimatisation is the process where you expose yourself repeatedly in a hot environment and after a period of time, you will find yourself being able to cope with the heat much better.” – Assoc Prof Jason Lee
Additionally, Assoc Prof Lee said that an over-reliance on air-conditioning is not only not sustainable, but it may also have negative health consequences since being indoors often means that one is usually and chronically less active.
The sudden adjustment of temperature when one moves from air-conditioned areas into the hot sun may also cause discomfort – one might hyperventilate or heart rates might be raised. “What you want to do with heat acclimatisation is to lower all these signs and symptoms of discomfort,” he added. Through heat acclimatisation, the gradual exposure to the hot environment coupled with some moderate exercise would help Singaporeans cope with rising temperature.
WATCH: CNA | Talking Point | E27: What’s it like living in hot Singapore?
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