Take adequate precautions to avoid heat stroke

With temperatures consistently starting to touch 40 degrees Celsius, the risk of heat-related illnesses is significantly heightened.

Hyderabad: As the city starts to grapple with the rise in temperatures, the district health authorities in Hyderabad and neighbouring Medchal-Malkajgiri and Rangareddy districts have urged people to take utmost precautions from heat strokes, which are bound to surge in the coming weeks.

With temperatures consistently starting to touch 40 degrees Celsius, the risk of heat-related illnesses is significantly heightened.

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Heat stroke occurs when the body’s temperature regulation system fails, leading to a rapid rise in core body temperature. Symptoms include dizziness, nausea, confusion, and, in severe cases, seizures and coma.

While food- and water-related infections are largely due to consumption of contaminated food and water, heat-related illnesses (HRI) encompasses a spectrum of disorders including muscle cramps, heat exhaustion and life-threatening emergency such as a heat stroke.

These illnesses arise when there is a disruption in regulating the body’s temperature because heat input from the environment and body metabolism is increased compared with output from the skin via radiation, evaporation, and convection.

Persons with such pre-existing medical conditions should ensure that they are not exposed to extreme heat during peak summer.

Doctors said that core body temperatures of senior citizens, diabetics, kidney and heart patients rises considerably when exposed to hot sun for a long time.