Heat-related health woes on the rise

With the summer months beckoning and temperature already spiking, experts are worried that there will be more and more people suffering from heat-related diseases. A recent survey by the Indian Instit

By: Editorial Team | | Updated: May 3, 2013 9:05 am

With the summer months beckoning and temperature already spiking, experts are worried that there will be more and more people suffering from heat-related diseases. A recent survey by the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH) found a detailed correlation between deaths in various parts of Ahmedabad and the high temperatures. The study found that between May 1 and May 19 when the temperature was around 43 degree Celsius the number of deaths per was 100-150 while on May 20 and 21 when the temperature peaked 46.5 degrees there were 510 deaths in two days.

The study found that most casualties were slum dwellers, older people, youngsters and outdoor labourers. Based on the results and analysis, the team from IIPH helped Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) devise a heat action plan.

‘The best way to counter heat-related deaths is to keep in touch with your near and dear ones, informing them when not to venture out. The old must be encouraged to consume more liquids,’ said one of the researchers. The study also found that patients with heart ailments have to be extra careful as their blood circulation increases due to the heat leading to their heart being overworked.

IIPH director Dileep Mavlankar said, ‘Threshold temperature for Ahmedabad has been found to be 42 degrees Celsius, after studying mortality patterns of the past several years. The AMC now plans to open all its parks in the afternoons so that people can take shelter under trees and cool off during heat wave situations, besides installing electronic temperatures gauges at various points in the city.’

According to various experts the most vulnerable are people suffering from diabetes, hypertension and heart diseases. ‘Hypertensives and heart patients on diuretics are at a risk of losing lot of fluids and essential electrolytes including excessive sodium and lower blood pressure,’ said cardiologist Dr Sameer Dani. ‘Diabetics generally suffer from excessive urination at a risk of losing excessive fluids which lead to increase in sugar levels in concentrated blood,’ said diabetologist Dr Banshi Saboo.

Tips to beat the summer woes

Expert dietician Neha Chandna, a well-known nutritionist gives some pointers to beat the heat:

Increase your water intake. In high humidity, you do not sweat adequately due to which you cannot release heat efficiently from your body. That is the reason why you need to drink enough water at regular intervals even if you are not thirsty, to cool your system.

Eat lot of fresh fruits, raw salads and lightly spiced foods. Fruits and veggies are easy to digest and high in water content which helps in hydration. Avoid fried and junk foods as they take time to digest and require a lot of water. Spicy foods can also increase body heat.

Drink naturally cooling beverages like coconut water, lemon juice, buttermilk, sugarcane juice, etc. rather than aerated soft drinks, caffeine, and alcoholic beverages as they contain sugar and other preservatives which act as diuretics (increase the flow of urine) and can cause loss of water from the body. To read more click here.

Published: May 3, 2013 8:58 am | Updated:May 3, 2013 9:05 am

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