Time to take measures to minimise effects of severe heat

Rawalpindi:Both the private and public sector healthcare facilities in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi have been receiving a significant burden of patients with heat-related problems particularly after a severe heat wave that has hit the population in the region in the last one week.

Health experts suggest that individuals must take necessary preventive measures well in time to avoid heat-related health threats otherwise the healthcare facilities would have to bear an extraordinary burden of patients with summer and monsoon related health hazards including heat exhaustion, heat stroke and gastroenteritis.

Data collected by ‘The News’ has revealed that the allied hospitals in town including Benazir Bhutto Hospital, Holy Family Hospital and Rawalpindi Teaching Hospital have already been receiving a greater number of both the child and the adult cases with diarrhoea and as well mild cases of heat exhaustion.

On average, almost every fourth patient visiting a public sector healthcare facility in emergency in the region is with some of the heat-related problems. The number of cases with gastroenteritis is also registering an upward trend.

Health experts say that to avoid summer related health hazards, people must be aware of various aspects of summer season illnesses and the preventive measures needed to avoid these. The warning signs of heat exhaustion include impaired consciousness, prolonged durations of sleep, restlessness and irritability, thunderclap headache, blurring of vision, tremors and fits and scanty dark urine in decreased quantity. Experts say that anyone having these symptoms should visit the nearest healthcare facility to avoid serious complications.

To avoid heat and summer related diseases, the most important preventive measure is to avoid going outside and spending long hours unnecessarily under the sun at day-time particularly from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If one has to go outside, he or she should cover head with a cloth and try to avoid exposure to sunlight as much as possible. Experts say that if the body temperature of a person goes up and the body stops sweating, the person should immediately report to the nearest healthcare facility.

In many cases, blood cells burst causing massive nasal bleeding due to persistent heat. Also there are chances of ceasing of the cardiac activity at high temperatures while the consistent high temperature in the environment may cause stiffness of muscles bringing them in contracted state.

Experts say that infants, children and elderly people are at greater risk of suffering from serious complications after exposure to severe heat. To avoid heat exhaustion and heat stroke, lightweight, light-coloured and loose-fitting clothes should be put on while black, dark green, red and blue coloured clothes should be avoided. Direct exposure to the sun should be avoided and a hat or umbrella should be used for protection from sun while outside. Sunglasses should also be used and try to avoid spending time outdoors unnecessarily during the hottest hours of the day.