Many Kolkatans are suffering from high fever, indigestion and exhaustion caused by heat, prompting doctors to urge people to stay hydrated and avoid being outdoors.
A doctor said people who are vulnerable — those who are suffering from chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease and heart diseases — should be extremely cautions and avoid going out in the sun. Elderly people, too, should remain indoors because with age the body’s ability to deal with the “fluid shift” reduces, said a doctor.
“It is very important to have plenty of fluids. That will keep one hydrated. There are some other basic things to be followed like using an umbrella when out in the sun. People should try to avoid going out in the sun,” said Chandramouli Bhattacharya, an infectious disease specialist at Peerless Hospital. Another doctor urged people to stay indoors between 10pm and 4pm.
“People with illnesses such as chronic kidney disease, chronic liver disease or heart diseases should be extremely cautious because they already have a restriction on fluid intake,” Bhattacharya said.
“If they go out and sweat, they will get dehydrated and need to take extra fluids. But drinking additional fluids will aggravate the existing illnesses and not taking additional fluids will trigger dehydration-related problems. Such people should try and avoid going outdoors so long the heat spell continues,” he said.
Another doctor said that with the rise in humidity, the loss of electrolytes from the body is going to increase. The heat has been accompanied with sweating since Saturday.
“Last week, the heat was not accompanied with sweating, but that has changed,” said a south Kolkata resident.
The Alipore Met office also said there has been a rise in the relative humidity.
In an advisory issued last week, the state health department had urged people without restrictions on salt intake to mix salt with water and drink it to compensate for the loss of electrolytes through sweating.
Amitabha Saha, head of critical care at AMRI Hospitals Mukundapur, said heat can cause high fever, which takes time to subside. He, however, cautioned that some people with fever could be suffering from Covid.
Paediatrician Apurba Ghosh, too, advised parents against keeping children outdoors for long.
Some of the common symptoms of heat-induced illnesses are exhaustion, cramps and food poisoning.
“The quality of food deteriorates fast during such heat spells. Eating out can create problems. One should be careful about the choice of food and the place from where they are ordering food. Home-cooked food is the best option,” said a doctor.
In its advisory the health department has urged people to avoid alcohol and not to drink tea or coffee frequently.
